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Wyoming Business Tips for June 7

June 2, 2009

A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center, part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By Carol Stark, Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Solid and Hazardous Waste Division

"I hear a lot of talk about reducing waste. Can my business really make a difference?" Rocky, Casper

Do you know that Wyoming has 51 landfills and about 42 of those serve populations less than 10,000 people? The monetary and environmental cost of running landfills is causing some of them to close -- due to an increased awareness of operating costs.

As a small business owner, you can extend the longevity of your landfill. Cardboard, paper, metals, fluorescent light bulbs and nickel cadmium batteries can be recycled. Ink cartridges can be refilled.

Recycling ink cartridges is a sustainable business practice because it saves you money and also eliminates the packaging that would normally be thrown into the trash. Electronic waste (office equipment, such as computers, electronics, copiers, etc.) can be diverted from the landfill by donating to schools or computers for kids programs. Ask a local computer repair shop owner for the nearest business that donates to Computers for Kids.

Cell phones can be donated to other non profit organizations. For leftover paint, call the nearest Habitat for Humanity; some will take unused paints. Donating to a cause is good business practice and can be great publicity.

For a list of recyclers in Wyoming, go to the Wyoming DEQ Web site at http://deq.state.wy.us/shwd/Recycling/index.asp. A fast search engine for listing the nearest recyclers, by type of material to be recycled, is at http://www.earth911.com. If you think that certain materials cannot be reused or recycled, remember to ask what can be accepted at a local landfill.

A blog version of this article and an opportunity to post comments is available at http://www.wyomingentrepreneur.typepad.com/blog/.

The WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz partnership program is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council, the Defense Logistics Agency and the University of Wyoming.

The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, e-mail wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY 82071-3922.

Posted on Tuesday, June 02, 2009

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