Federal Efficiency; Use it not lose it

This time every year in Washington D.C. federal agencies throw away hundreds of millions of good products in the trash.  Our nation’s government discards a bountiful amount of materials to benefit in their next year budget cycle.  This is called "use it or lose it.”  This form of waste is not uncommon with many organizations. There is nothing efficient about this practice to discard so to stimulate your next year budget. 

35 years ago I was the D.C. first recycling coordinator. I observed huge amount of perfectly good materials such as furniture and chairs trashed because of a new budget cycle.   If only the Feds could reward saving things and instead of discarding them.  It is ironic that we invest hundreds of billions of dollars in defense programs or homeland security while investing a tiny fraction in our very earth’s survival. 

 Our industrial facilities generate yearly 7.6 billion tons of non-hazardous industrial waste.  This is generated by a wide spectrum of manufacturing companies. This waste includes domestic sewage and bio-solids, demolition and construction wastes, agricultural and mining residues, combustion ash, and industrial process wastes. Industrial non-hazardous waste are produced by 12,000 facilities, and disposed of on-site in surface impoundments, landfills, waste piles or land application units.  

We must look beyond municipal solid waste to fully integrate this resource management.  Once we better identify the exact environmental and economic consequences of our by-products rural areas will not just be the convenient dumping ground for this nation’s refuse and effluence.  

For example the price of some landfills reflect “bury now, pay latter”, while billions of pounds of future materials are discarded for future generations to deal with. 

Let’s celebrate everyday by respecting not abusing our goods. Better managing our environment is not just an issue, it is our very future.  A more conservation ethic can phase out our federal "use it or lose it" practice. Mending is far better then ending when it comes to our beloved land, water and air.

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