Abstract As the emphasis on safety and efficiency increases in the oil industry, there has been a corresponding improvement in the quality of packaging for chemical products. Examples of higher standards include plastic shrink-wrap covers, better-designed pallets, and fewer sacks loaded per pallet. These improvements in packaging, however, have led to an increase in the volume of waste generated and its disposal costs. In order to contribute to the preservation of the environment, improve employee safety and at the same time reduce operational costs, the HES Colombian environmental team designed the Integral Waste Management System (IWMS). The IWMS provides methods for efficient waste collection, recycling and disposal. The primary focus of the system is the provision of comprehensive environmental training for field personnel to help ensure that each person is fully educated concerning the process and its objectives. Formal standards for field applications are in place. One example of rig site implementation of the IWMS includes using size and dimension appropriate color-coded containers of the appropriate sizes to transport waste materials to the stock point. Simultaneously with the intensive training undertaken by the personnel, the IWMS incorporates an equally important process for selecting the best local companies for recycling and disposal. Those companies selected received the guidance and support necessary to obtain and maintain ISO 9000 certification, assuring the quality of the service and the internal standards expected by our customers. All the selected companies are also certified by the Environmental Minister of Colombia. Since the beginning the IWMS implementation in Colombia, waste incineration has been reduced nearly 90%, which helps decrease environmental pollution that may contribute to global warming. The IWMS efforts have assisted with the promotion of cardboard recycling companies and similar waste management enterprises. Most importantly, the cost of drilling waste disposal in participating Colombian operations has been reduced almost 60%.