Waste Reduction and Recycling

In 2004 the company's waste reduction efforts were recognized by the California Integrated Waste Management Board's Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP), as they have been for ten of the last eleven years. Borax's waste reduction efforts include:

• Substituting hazardous chemicals with non-hazardous materials
• Recycling product that does not meet quality specifications
• Recycling haul truck tires as well as beams and rails from
  old underground workings
• Rewarding employees for environmental and recycling suggestions
• Remediating contaminated soil

Borax does not ship any waste across international borders. In 2004, the company recorded substantially more non-hazardous off-site waste. This waste included a large quantity of soil that had been contaminated by oil leaks associated with equipment repair over many years. These soils were treated at an off-site facility and recycled as cover for a local landfill.