Press Contact: Sophie Cardona: (212) 361-2400, ext. 244 , or email cardona@informinc.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, December 3, 2001

NEW ON-LINE RESOURCE SHOWS HOW TO IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY-BASED WASTE PREVENTION PROGRAMS

New York, NY ­ -- INFORM, Inc., a national environmental research organization, announced today the launch of its Community Waste Prevention Toolkit. This interactive, on-line resource is designed to help community leaders, grassroots environmental organizations, and policymakers implement cost-effective programs that reduce the amount and toxicity of materials entering the waste stream. The Toolkit outlines the successful strategies used in INFORM's New York City Waste Prevention Initiative, which played a key role in the city's decision to incorporate the first major waste prevention mandates in the recent modification of its Solid Waste Management Plan.

While recycling rates are increasing across the US, the actual generation of waste by communities and businesses nationwide has soared ­ from 88 million tons in l960 to more than 220 million tons today. The rate of waste generation per person has more than doubled in the last 30 years.

"Whether inspired by escalating waste disposal costs, garbage-related public health concerns in our urban centers, or dwindling natural resources, communities are increasingly finding it necessary to reconsider traditional wasteful patterns of materials consumption and disposal," said Joanna Underwood, President of INFORM. "This new resource explains why preventing waste before it is created is the most cost-effective, environmentally sound, and socially responsible way to address the challenges of the growing waste stream."

INFORM's Toolkit includes:

• A clear description of what "waste prevention" is and how it differs from recycling.
• A step-by-step guide to building community support for waste prevention and coordinating an effective campaign.
• A list of key questions to consider when investigating local waste prevention practices and policies and identifying the options for change.
• Model legislation mandating waste prevention practices by local government.
• Key purchasing strategies to reduce waste.
• Case studies of government-sponsored "trash busting" programs throughout the country.
• Fact sheets on minimizing waste and pollution from specific waste streams.
• Hundreds of links to manufacturers of waste-reducing and recycled-content products, reuse and recycling businesses, and other useful on-line resources.

INFORM's Community Waste Prevention Toolkit is available online at http://www.informinc.org/cwp_00.php.

INFORM, Inc. is a national environmental research organization, based in New York City, which identifies practical ways of living and doing business that ensure environmentally sustainable economic growth. For over a decade, INFORM has been a leader in the search for practical ways to reduce municipal and commercial waste streams, publishing more than a dozen reports and manuals for businesses, government agencies, schools, and communities on strategies for preventing wastes at their source.