Metal bearing wastestreams containing heavy metals are generated through several industrial processes. Standard pretreatment practices usually involve removal of these metals from the effluent prior to discharge using a variety of techniques, often resulting in production of a sludge which must be disposed as a hazardous waste. With the increased costs of hazardous waste disposal, waste minimization practices and techniques designed to reduce the quantity of hazardous waste generated in industrial countries are becoming more prevalent. The paper presents the findings of three waste minimization case studies concerned with the recovery of metals from two industrial wastestreams in the printed circuit board industry and one in the automotive repair industry. The purpose of these studies was to technically and economically evaluate the effectiveness of three metal recovery operations in minimizing the volume of hazardous waste generated at each facility.