Local public agency StopWaste.Org has received $35,000 in grant funding from U.S. EPA Region 9 to expand the reach of the “Use Reusables” campaign beyond Alameda County and into partner communities throughout California’s Bay Area. The campaign helps businesses reduce costs and improve their environmental performance by replacing limited-use pallets, boxes and other transport packaging materials with durable, reusable alternatives. The grant was awarded through EPA’s competitive program for innovative solid waste reduction projects.

The Use Reusables campaign was launched in 2007, in partnership with the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA), a non-profit trade association representing manufacturers, distributors and others in the reusable transport packaging industry. The campaign provides free educational resources, training workshops and expert advice to help businesses transition to reusable transport packaging.

“EPA Region 9’s grant to the Use Reusables campaign facilitates packaging reuse through education and partnerships,” says Tom Huetteman, the associate director of EPA Region 9’s waste management division. “Reuse offers a powerful opportunity to conserve greater resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We encourage businesses and local governments to take advantage of the campaign’s training opportunities to learn how to integrate reusable packaging into their operations.”

To date five workshops have been held, attended by over 100 individuals representing 70 Alameda County businesses and organizations. The campaign has helped several companies make the switch to reusables, saving millions of dollars in packaging expenses and disposal costs, as well as preventing thousands of tons of waste

The EPA grant enables StopWaste.Org to partner with agencies around the Bay Area to bring the campaign’s core element—a free, 3-hour, hands-on training workshop—to their communities. “The tools we’ve developed can benefit any company with significant materials handling, storage and transportation needs,” says StopWaste program manager Justin Lehrer. “We are pleased to extend the campaign throughout the region and help businesses realize the economic, environmental, and supply chain efficiencies of reusables.”