Waste Prevention-- What Can We Learn From the Success of Energy Conservation

Abstract

Enlightened Self Interest- A Parallel Path to Follow. The goals of stockholders, employees and the nations in which we live are clearly aligned in energy conservation and waste prevention. Call it “social responsibility”, call it “enlightened self interest”, or call it “simple common sense”. Enthusiasm for these comes naturally. Most of us were raised on the dictums of doing it better and doing it more efficiently. For the last 15 years in energy, we’ve attacked with enthusiasm and capital. The result is an improvement in efficiency which measured in dollars turns out to be a large fraction of current profits. The opportunity in preventing our other wastes isn’t quite as easy to recognize and we’re only beginning the battle. Almost certainly it’s going to be a tougher struggle, but we have at least one big advantage—we have the energy example to learn from.