Re: (All) Waste Prevention Technology

[rpojasek@sprynet.com]

To respond to Diana Li,

Most of the examples of Waste Prevention Technology have one or more of the 
three problems that I raised:  1.  They create another waste;  2.  They use much 
more energy to operate;  and 3.  They have more significant safety concerns in 
the workplace.  Efficiency improvements (that you cited) reduce the amount of 
waste, but they must compete in the marketplace with the waste producing 
processes when the general ledger cost of the waste disposal may not be very 
expensive.  What are the business opportunities for someone that has a product 
that totally eliminates a waste and the activity-based costs associated with 
managing that waste?  How important is it to develop these technologies and 
commercialize them?  This is the primary question that I am considering?  
Efficiency changes are important in a P2 program.  However, the companies will 
develop these techniques as a normal course of business (I suspect). Perhaps 
posed in a different way, can conduct a certain process in two different ways - 
one with a waste and one withOUT a waste - by using different technology?  The 
technology cannot violate the conditions set above (and, hopefully, will be cost 
effective when the activity-based costs are allowed).  Does that help you 
understand the question?

Bob Pojasek
rpojasek@sprynet.com