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Integrated Waste Management Definitions

  1. Source Reduction
  2. Reuse
  3. Recycling
  4. Composting
  5. Landfilling and Incineration
  6. Hierarchy of Integrated Waste Management
  1. Source Reduction (also Waste Reduction): Means preventing waste in the first place. Source reduction is:
    • The first alternative to consider for waste management, "living lightly"  (having minimal impact on our environmental resources), and reducing pollution.
    • The most effective way to reduce waste going into landfills or being incinerated.
    • The best way to recognize financial benefits or reduce waste management costs

      You can:
      • Participate in activities that reduce the amount of materials   used.
      • Choose materials with minimal toxic components and/or consider alternatives to traditional materials.
  2. Reuse: Giving a second life to a used product or material
    • The second alternative to consider for waste management and reducing pollution.
    • Extends the benefits of these investments and contributes to 'source reduction' by reducing the effects of our "throw-away society."  A lot of energy and resources are used each time a product or material is used.
    • Different from recycling because it does not require expending additional energy to convert materials into a new form

      You can:
      • Give a second life by either reusing the material in the same way or for a different purpose.
      • Reuse can include circulating publications throughout offices or among friends.
      • Donate used equipment to charity.
      • Repair items.
      • Use "remanufactured" products and equipment.
      • Use the Montana Materials Exchange to list unwanted materials  or look for materials that you do need. The Montana State University Extension Service Pollution Prevention (P2) Program Montana Material Exchange site http://www.montana.edu/mme/ encourages recovery and reuse of diverse materials that would otherwise be discarded.
  3. Recycling: Introducing used materials or products intomanufacturing processes to produce a new product.
    • The third alternative to consider for waste management and reducing pollution.
    • Requires collecting materials, processing them to form appropriate raw materials, and manufacturing a new product.
    • Involves the purchase of Recycled-Content Products.

      You can:
      • Collect and properly sort materials to return to recycling center.
      • Purchase recycled-content materials. We must purchase recycled-content materials to maintain the demand for recovered materials, sustain our collection programs, and fully participate in Integrated Waste Management.
      • Click here for DEQ's Montana Guide for Buying Recycled Products.
  4. Composting: The controlled decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms.
    • The fourth alternative to consider for waste management and reducing pollution.
    • Involves collecting, processing and producing a new product.
    • Whether sold, given away, or re-applied on-site, there must be a demand for this material in order to continue the process. This option should be considered for all waste materials that are biodegradable and that can not be reused or reduced.

      You can:
      • Learn about and participate in large-scale composting to reduce waste management costs for governments, businesses, and sewage treatment programs.
      • Start a back-yard-composting project in your home.
  5. Landfill and incineration: The final destinations for most waste in United States
    • The fifth and final alternatives to consider for waste management in Montana.
    • Due to low landfill fees, the alternatives listed above are not always financially cheaper than landfilling or incineration. However, the long-term benefits of energy, pollution, and materials savings are significant, and if communities do full-cost accounting, will likely prove beneficial enough to overcome the differences in costs.

      Sometimes, due to local circumstances, it is cheaper to landfill than recycle, compost and maybe even reuse, but DEQ is working to change this by improving local markets and uses for waste materials.

      You can avoid these last-resort options by:
      • Starting up a business that utilizes a local waste material.
      • Working with another business to establish a use for your own waste material/byproduct.
      • Actively participating in Source Reduction activities to lessen the amount of waste your community may have to landfill.
      • Actively participating in Reuse, Recycling, and Composting activities to promote and strengthen these alternatives in Montana.
      • Requesting and purchasing recycled-content materials.
      • Clicking here for DEQ's Montana Guide for Buying Recycled Products.