Business Waste Resources

Businesses can generate a significant amount of waste materials. Many businesses are reducing their environmental impacts while reducing costs by preventing and recovering waste materials. Barriers some businesses face to increasing recycling include lack of information, lack of space, and financial considerations. However, Benton County staff are available to help answer questions about how to reduce waste generation and increase recycling opportunities. Benton County encourages each commercial generator of solid waste to strive to achieve 55 percent recovery from its solid waste stream by the year 2025.

Steps to Reducing the Impacts of Waste:

Complete a Waste Audit
- Understanding the materials in your waste streams is the first step to finding solutions.
- Learn how much of each material category is present in the trash, recycling, compost, and other streams.
Reduce Waste Generation
- Identify which materials could have been reused, repaired, donated, or otherwise prevented from entering the waste stream.
- Waste reduction is the most effective way to reduce the impacts of materials.
- Food Waste Reduction Resources:
  - Food Waste Prevention
  - Food Donation
Increase Waste Recovery
- Identify which materials could have been recycled or composted instead of thrown in the trash.
- Ensure that these materials are collected for recycling or composting.
- Identify and reduce contamination in recycling and compost.
- Add posters showing which items
- Food Waste Recovery Resources
Dispose of materials safely
- Ensure any waste materials that cannot be prevented or recovered is safely disposed.
- Hazardous Waste Resources
Technical Assistance
- Contact Benton County at 541-766-6819 for technical assistance with waste reduction and recovery. County staff can help answer questions and provide information about best-practices.
- Corvallis Sustainability Coalition's Saving Green program provides free sustainability assistance to businesses in Corvallis.
Waste Service Levels
- After reducing waste and increasing recycling, review solid waste and recycling services to identify opportunities for cost savings on landfill trash service.

Food Waste Resources

Hazardous Waste Resources

Overview

Businesses are required to safely handle any Hazardous Materials generated, following all federal and state regulations. Specific regulations and requirements vary based on the amount of waste, type of waste, and industry/operation in which the waste is generated.

Oregon Hazardous Waste Rules

Local Collection Events

Stericycle provides the services for Household Hazardous Waste events through Republic Services. They will also be onsite to accept hazardous materials from businesses and households with more than five pounds (regular household quantities) the day prior to each household hazardous waste event.

Offered by appointment only
Appointments need to be made at least one week in advance
This is for businesses or households with more than 5 lbs of hazardous materials

Contact Stericycle to set up an appointment.

More information on accepted materials and event days can be found here: Household Hazardous Waste.

Technical Assistance

Oregon DEQ offers free hazardous waste technical assistance to businesses. Go to the technical assistance webpage to learn more.

Hazardous Waste Training

Oregon DEQ offers free hazardous waste training to businesses. Go to the training webpage to learn more.

Construction and Demolition (C & D) Materials

Waste and Recycling Posters

Click on the link above to access downloadable waste and recycling posters. Signage helps to simplify recycling and composting while reducing contamination.

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