Reuse, reduce, recycle. This slogan has been a part of American culture for decades, but it’s an everyday activity for PacifiCorp, which is minimizing its environmental footprint through its waste reuse and recycling programs.

Here’s how:

• Recovery and recycling of metals such as aluminum, copper and steel from most company service locations
• Repair of transformers and other electrical equipment for reuse
• Reuse of select oils in rebuilt equipment
• Recycling of other used oil from company vehicles and electrical equipment for energy recovery
• Recycling of paper, cardboard, wood and plastic where possible
• Gathering data on materials used and waste produced for evaluating life-cycle environmental impacts and to select environmentally efficient equipment, tools and materials for future use
• Recycling aluminum cans, scrap metal, paper, magazines, cardboard, drums, lead acid batteries, antifreeze and oil at service centers, plants and mines

PacifiCorp uses product substitution and active management to reduce hazardous waste generation at its facilities. Because of these efforts almost all of the facilities are conditionally exempt small quantity generators, which is the lowest regulatory category of hazardous waste generators.

PacifiCorp’s Hydro Resources department also performs baseline assessments at each of the company’s hydroelectric projects to identify the waste streams generated, and to establish a basis for continuous improvement programs to reduce and recycle waste. For example, the Lewis River Hydroelectric Project contracts with an outside firm to help reduce and recycle more than 1,600 cubic yards of solid waste generated each year.
More information on the company's sustainable efforts:
Policy & vision
Renewable energy
Air quality 
Energy conservation
Habitat protection