Reducing Waste in Industrial Settings with Reusable & Sustainable Supplies

How industrial operations can adopt smarter supply-strategies — and where to find the right supplies on GoVets

In today’s industrial and manufacturing environments, waste isn’t just a matter of scrap metal or leftover product. A significant portion of waste can come from consumables, single-use items, inefficiencies in supply chains, and maintenance practices that don’t prioritize reusability. The good news? By adopting reusable and sustainable supplies, operations can reduce cost, increase efficiency, boost sustainability credentials, and support a veteran-owned business like GoVets.

Why reuse and sustainability matter in industrial settings

Cost savings through durability
Rather than buying single-use items or replacing cheap goods frequently, choosing reusable, higher-quality supplies means fewer orders, fewer service interruptions, and lower total cost of ownership.
Material-waste reduction
One-time use plastic bags, liners, packaging, etc., contribute to landfill waste and recycling costs. Switching to reusable containers, refillable systems, durable liners, and sustainable materials reduces that load.
Better environmental and brand impact
For facilities under regulatory scrutiny or those with sustainability goals, using eco-friendly supplies helps meet targets for waste diversion, recycled content, and lifecycle impact. It also projects the right image to customers, regulators, employees and the community.
Supply chain resilience
Reusable supplies often make supply chain demands more predictable. If you’re depending less on disposable, throw-away items that may be lead-time sensitive, you can stabilize inventory and reduce downtime (and thus avoid scrap/waste from downtime).

Key areas to target for waste reduction

Here are some of the supply-areas within an industrial facility where reusable/sustainable choices make a big difference:

a) Packaging, material-handling & internal logistics

Use reusable totes, bins or crates instead of one-time cardboard or plastic.
Employ durable pallets, or pallets with reusable covers or liners.
Replace single-use stretch-film with stretch-film systems that work with reusable frames or more efficient film use.
Use washable/cleanable protective liners for transport containers vs. one-time use liners.

b) Cleaning, maintenance & facility supplies

Choose washable mop heads, microfiber reusable cloths rather than disposable wipes.
Use refillable spray systems rather than throwing out empty disposable bottles.
Opt for cleaning chemicals in bulk concentrate and refillable dispensers.
Use reusable tool organizers or shadow boards to reduce “lost tools → buys replacements → waste”.

c) Consumables and small-parts management

Use durable small‐parts bins and managed refill systems rather than individually packaged consumables.
Choose tools and equipment accessories that are rebuildable or serviceable, decreasing full‐replace cycles.
Look for products with recycled content and those that can be recycled again at end-of-life.

d) Office & shared-space supplies in industrial facilities

Many industrial operations overlook the office, breakrooms and shared zones: using recycled-paper products, refillable writing instruments, durable breakroom supplies—all matter and add up.
Document and printing policies (go paperless where possible) further reduce waste.

How GoVets can help you implement reusable & sustainable purchasing

At GoVets, you’ll find a wide selection of industrial, MRO, facility-maintenance, packaging and processing supplies—many of which support durable or sustainable use.

Here are a few features that make GoVets a strong partner for this initiative:

Free shipping within the contiguous U.S., simplifying logistics. GoVets
Millions of products across categories including industrial supplies, facility maintenance, packaging & material handling. GoVets
Veteran-owned business (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) with strong credentials. info.govets.com

Product suggestions: Reusable & sustainable supplies to consider

Below are sample product types you can shop at GoVets (links provided for convenience). Use these as launching points—each facility has its unique needs, so consider your waste hotspots first.

Reusable plastic or metal storage totes (vs single-use cardboard). GoVets: Storage & Material Handling category
Microfiber reusable cloths / mop-heads (for cleaning) in the facility. GoVets: Brooms, Mops, Squeegees & Buckets category
Refill‐system spray bottles / chemical dispensers instead of disposable ones.
Packaging frames or reusable stretch-film systems for pallet transport.
Recycled-content paper products for office/printing—see GoVets’ blog on sustainable office supplies. GoVets
Durable tool organizers/shadow boards to reduce part-loss and replacement.
Bulk cleaning chemical concentrates with refillable dispensing stations.

Implementation tips for industrial facilities

Conduct a waste audit. Identify the major consumables, disposable items, and frequent replacements your facility uses. Track costs of disposal and replacement.
Prioritize high-impact categories. Select the 2–3 areas where reusable supplies will make the most difference (cost + waste + frequency).
Set standards/specs for reusable supplies. For example: require totes with 90% reuse lifetime, or mop-heads that last 300+ uses, or chemical dispensers with minimal packaging.
Train users and maintain accountability. Reusable systems only work if staff handle and return items appropriately. Set tracking systems.
Measure results. After 3–6 months, review reductions in disposable spend, disposal costs, replacement frequency, and any impact on downtime or part loss.
Iterate and expand. Use early wins to expand reusable/sustainable supply practices across departments or the full facility.

Here are 10 specific reusable & sustainable supply SKUs you can order through GoVets (veteran-owned, free shipping across the contiguous U.S.). Each includes a direct link + why it supports waste-reduction.

Reusable Totes – ORBIS Flipak Plastic Distribution FP403 (HDPE, 250+ reuse trips)
ORBIS Flipak FP403 – GoVets
- Durable high-density polyethylene, attached‐lid for nesting when empty → reduces return shipping and single-use waste. GoVets
Reusable Totes – LEWIS Bins “Nest Only” Container RNO2115-9
LEWIS Bins RNO2115-9 – GoVets
- Designed for 250+ trips. Helps replace disposable crates/boxes used in transport/parts handling. GoVets
MFG Tray Molded Fiberglass Toteline Nesting Tote 9261085136
MFG Tray Nesting Tote – GoVets
- Fiberglass‐reinforced, very durable for harsh environments. Longer life = fewer replacements. GoVets
MFG Tray Molded Fiberglass Nest & Stack Tote 780808-5268
MFG Tray Nest & Stack Tote – GoVets
- One more style of rugged totes for material handling; reinforces the “buy once / reuse many times” concept. GoVets
Reusable & Launderable Microfiber Cloth 12″×12″ (Tough Guy) PK12 32UV08
Microfiber Cloth – GoVets
- Instead of using disposable wipes, this launderable microfiber cloth lowers consumables usage dramatically. GoVets
Highmark ECO Compostable Breakroom Hot Cup Sleeves – 100% recycled content
ECO Compostable Cup Sleeves – GoVets
- While not strictly reusable, using compostable/recycled materials reduces waste footprint in breakrooms – a good parallel-supply example. GoVets
K-Flex USA Elastomeric Insulation Tape (Low VOC / Sustainable)
K-Flex Insulation Tape – GoVets
- For industrial HVAC/pipe insulation: choosing low-VOC / longer-life materials supports waste & energy reduction. GoVets
Industrial Storage Cabinets (Durable, Long‐Life Storage Solutions)
Storage & Shelving – Industrial Storage Cabinets – GoVets
- Long-lasting storage infrastructure reduces need for frequent replacements and disposable shelving. GoVets
Janitorial & Housekeeping Carts (Durable Carts for Reusable Supply Systems)
Reference from GoVets blog: Ultimate Guide to Janitorial & Housekeeping Carts – GoVets
- Using quality carts enables organized reuse of cleaning supplies, reducing disposable waste. GoVets
General “Industrial Supplies” Category – GoVets
Industrial Supplies Solution Group – GoVets
- Browse this category to locate additional reusable/sustainable specialty items. GoVets

Why these matter

Many of these items are designed for hundreds of reuse cycles (e.g., totes) rather than single‐use.
They shift spend from “disposable/toss” to “durable/reuse”, which reduces cost and landfill waste.
Supports the broader theme of selecting durable, sustainable supplies across facility, material handling, maintenance and breakroom operations.

How to pick & implement

Review the SKUs above, and match them to your highest volume waste streams (e.g., transport containers, cleaning wipes, single-use packaging).
Order a sample qty, track performance and reuse cycles, then scale.
Consider label or tracking systems to manage reusable assets (e.g., totes return system).
Train staff to treat durable supplies as assets, not disposables.

Final thoughts

Reducing waste in industrial settings isn’t just about being “green”; it’s about being smart—reducing cost, improving supply reliability, and aligning operations with broader sustainability goals. By choosing reusable and sustainable supplies, and by leveraging a partner like GoVets, you can make meaningful progress.

When you’re ready to explore specific products, head over to GoVets, browse the categories, and filter for durable, reusable, high-quality supplies with the sustainability credentials your facility needs.

Start here: GoVets Homepage

Thanks for your commitment to smarter, leaner, sustainable operations—and thanks for supporting a veteran-owned business in the process.