What to do with nonsaleable product

2 June 2008| Source: Skip Shapiro, Skip Shapiro Enterprises LLC

Have you ever wondered what to do with all those nonsaleable beverages, old beer, spoiled wine, and rejected soft drinks?

According to industry experts, approximately one half of one percent of all beverages produced in or imported into the United States are eventually deemed “nonsaleable.”
Far too many beverage containers and other beverage packaging end up in our nation’s overburdened landfills. Often, liquid is simply poured down the drain without regard to consequences or environmental damage. Some product is even sold clandestinely overseas or elsewhere, creating health liability and brand identity issues.

Nearly all beverages, other than bottled water of course, are too high in BOD (biological oxygen demand) and too low in PH (measure of acidity/alkalinity) to meet requirements set by wastewater treatment facilities. Large quantities of these beverages strain smaller and even medium sized systems. Often, there are expensive surcharges.

What’s a better solution? Liquid disposal methods such as extracting sugars and alcohol, converting into ethanol or other byproducts, composting, anaerobic or aerobic digesters, evaporation, land application, onsite treatment, and offsite disposal are amongst the most popular and accepted practices.

Unquestionably the ability to separate pre-consumer and post-consumer packaging from liquid content and recycling nearly all the material is the optimum. Yesterday’s soft drink and beer cans become tomorrow’ s new ones; yesterday’s bottles, tomorrow’s latest-style glass containers; old PET plastic, your brand new living room carpet.

More and more responsible companies today are recognizing the value of environmental stewardship. The recent resurgence of the “green” business philosophy makes both economic and environmental sense. Consumers appreciate and recognize green companies and are more prone to buy their products or services.

So, if you manufacture, distribute, import, warehouse, transport, or retail beverage products, please carefully explore your disposal options and review your current procedures, costs, and vendors. If your products happen to be alcoholic, and if they are destroyed according to Federal and State guidelines, most often there are considerable taxes to be recovered, which help to offset processing or tipping fees.

Once you’ve made the informed choices, you have the knowledge and peace of mind that you, in your own way, helped our country, planet, and future generations to preserve this blessed land.

Skip Shapiro is a Consultant/Broker and a former National Sales Manager of Recycle America (Waste Management Inc.). A comprehensive list of services provided by Skip Shapiro Enterprises can be found at http://www.shapiroe.com.

For more information:
Visit: http://www.shapiroe.com
Contact: Skip Shapiro

• Latest industry announcements
• Report in focus

Search News Research Briefings Blog Membership Jobs Forums Events E-mail Alerts Your Account