We’re not exactly talking about what’s in your trashcan at the moment. In regard to manufacturing, waste is considered any material that is produced and/or cannot be used as part of the manufacturing process because it has to be sacrificed to achieve a specific, desired end result or product. More and more these days, the emphasis is on green design and reducing said waste, either by incorporating the materials into other products or coming up with technological solutions to eliminate the leftovers altogether. The old idiom is true: Haste does indeed make waste… but thoughtful planning reduces it.