“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
Robert Swan
Waste management has become a critical concern for businesses, municipalities, and individuals across the country. In the United States we generate more waste per capita than any other nation, estimated at 4.9 pounds of municipal solid waste (MSW) per person per day, equating to almost 300 million tonnes per day. This staggering amount of waste not only poses environmental challenges but also represents significant economic inefficiencies.
Although around 32% of this waste is recycled, it’s clear that all of us, as both individuals and businesses, need to be doing more to cut down how much gets thrown in the trash. One of the first significant steps you can take is to carry out a waste audit. And with global waste production set to grow to 3.4 billion tons by 2050, there’s no better time to do it than now.
Introduction to Waste Audits: Why They Matter
“In nature there is no such thing as waste. In nature nothing is wasted; everything is recycled.”— David Suzuki
A waste audit can be a valuable tool for addressing these challenges by systematically examining the waste generated within a facility or organization. It can provide insights into waste composition, sources, and potential areas for reduction.
Implementing waste audits in your business can lead to cost savings, improved environmental compliance, and enhanced corporate social responsibility. And there is real evidence that they work. The university waste audit findings of one institution in New York discovered that 75% of waste generated could be diverted from landfill using recycling and compost programs. But how do you go about carrying out an effective waste audit?
Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting a Waste Audit
Here’s a step by step guide to how it’s done.
1) Define Your Waste Audit Goals and Scope
Before initiating the audit, we think it’s essential that you establish clear objectives. Think about and determine what you aim to achieve. Is it reducing waste disposal costs, increasing recycling rates, or identifying opportunities for waste reduction? Or ideally a combination of all three?
Additionally, define the scope of your waste reduction by selecting specific areas, departments, or waste streams to focus on. This will ensure the audit remains manageable and relevant.
2) Develop a Waste Audit Plan
It’s very important to outline the audit’s methodology before you start. Not only does this help to clarify roles but is also a very useful opportunity to teach employees directly about waste issues. A waste audit should develop a clear idea of the following:
- Timeframe: Decide on the audit’s duration and specific dates.
- Sampling method: Choose between a full audit (examining all waste) or a representative sample.
- Review local regulations: It is essential to have a clear understanding of what materials are accepted by haulers and what may need to be separated.
3) Assemble an Audit Team
We always recommend forming as diverse a team as possible, comprising members from various departments, such as facilities management, operations, and sustainability. In our experience, this multidisciplinary approach ensures comprehensive insights and fosters organizational buy-in. It is a good idea to assign roles from the outset and it should be clear if team members are sorting the waste themselves or if this is being outsourced to a third party.
4) Gather Necessary Tools and Equipment
Likewise, it is similarly important that you have the right tools for the job. Equip your team with the essentials, such as:
- Personal protective equipment (PPE): Gloves, safety glasses, and other personal protective clothing.
- Sorting surfaces: Tarps or tables.
- Containers: Bins or bags for segregating waste categories.
- Scales: For weighing waste accurately.
- Data collection tools: Prepare data sheets, clipboards, cameras, labels, and other necessary documentation tools.
5) Conduct the Waste Audit
Now it’s time to get your hands dirty (metaphorically and, let’s be honest, literally too). Carry out the audit by:
- Collecting waste: Gather all waste from the defined areas over a specified period. Usually, the Facilities team will usually be responsible for tagging and placing the waste in the storage area. The Operations team will usually be responsible for ensuring that there is a collection area to stage the bagged waste, coordinating the delivery of additional waste bins, tools and supplies.
- Sorting waste: Categorize this waste into predefined categories (e.g. paper, plastics, organics). If employees are performing the audit, it would be helpful to assign roles ahead of time.
- Measuring and recording: Weigh each bag or collection bin of material, taking note of the waste stream of origin. Perform separate audits for each waste stream. Failure to do this correctly will prevent you from obtaining useful results
While everyone is responsible for the ‘integrity’ of the data and should be monitoring the collection bins to ensure that waste is being placed into the correct container, at a typical waste audit, the following dedicated roles need to be filled:
- Sorter or Picker: Sorts through the bagged waste
- Scribe: Records data and takes pictures of materials
- Transporter/Sorter: Not afraid of heavy lifting, can lift and transport bags from the collection area to the table or tarp
6) Analyze the Collected Data
After the data collection has been carried out, it’s time to find out what you have discovered. This will generally involve:
- Quantifying waste streams: Calculate the volume and weight of each waste category.
- Identify patterns: Look for recurring waste types or sources.
- Do you notice a material that shouldn’t be in a waste stream? Area? Building?
- Is there a large quantity or volume of one particular material
- Compare the volume and the weight. Sometimes there could be a large volume of material that weighs less but is taking up a lot of space
- Is the material a part of the normal operations? Brought in from outside? Is there a brand that dominates the waste that you generate
7) Develop Recommendations
Based on the analysis of the data you have collected, now you need to think about what can be done to reduce the amount of waste produced and improve the systems for dealing with the waste you have created. In our experience, the most impactful recommendations use the zero-waste hierarchy as their foundation:
- Rethink/Redesign – Rethink or redesign processes and procurement programs to reduce the amount of waste that is generated on site
- Reduce – Reduce consumption of this material
- Reuse – Where possible, reuse the material for other purposes after its primary use is completed
- Recycle/Compost – Recycle or compost the waste using a trusted hauler, if possible obtain confirmation of its proper disposal
- Disposal – Last resort when no other options exist for that material
- Estimate Potential Savings
- Reduced number of pickups
- Reduced waste volume
- Reduced procurement of wasteful materials
- Credits from haulers
- Grants and Awards
- Estimate Health/Community benefits
- Reduced Scope 3 Emissions
8) Report and Communicate Findings
Of course, identifying potential cost savings and highlighting key areas where waste can be significantly reduced is one thing, communicating this clearly and concisely to stakeholders is another. That is why you need to put the hours in to prepare a comprehensive and engaging report that accurately details:
- Executive Summary – Detail the project background, scope and relevant observations and recommendations.
- Methodology – Describe the process and the tools.
- Findings – Communicate the findings of the audit using photographs taken from the audit as well as tables, charts and graphs that would help a lay person understand what is being presented
- Recommendations – When presenting the findings from the waste audit, it is crucial to pick recommendations that should not only have a large potential for impact but they should also be achievable. You will lose more support attempting to do the impossible
You then need to share this report with stakeholders through presentations or workshops to ensure understanding and foster engagement – making sure the message gets across clearly.
9) Implement Changes and Monitor Progress
The ultimate aim of any waste audit is to put the recommendations into action. You can do this by:
- Developing a plan to address the recommendations and other areas for improvement found during the analysis, including goals with realistic timelines during this period. Additionally, you should define what success is for YOU and YOUR organization.
- Assigning responsibilities once the goals have been established.
- Developing training for staff based on the results of the audit. Be sure to share the WHY with the people that are being trained. Additionally, different audiences care about different information, for example, facility vs. office employees, managers vs. individual contributors.
- Monitoring and regularly reviewing the project’s progress to adjust strategies as needed.
Essential Tools and Materials Needed for a Waste Audit
A successful waste audit requires key tools to ensure accuracy and safety. Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, safety goggles, masks, and protective clothing, is essential for safeguarding against potential hazards. Sorting tools like tarps, tables, and bins help in efficient waste segregation, while measuring instruments, including scales and measuring tapes, allow for precise data collection. Proper documentation supplies – clipboards, pens, cameras, and labels – ensure accurate record-keeping throughout the process. Below is a list of materials that all successful waste audits should have
List of Materials
- PPE
- Gloves (nitrile, cut resistant)
- Safety Goggles
- Face Mask
- Protective Clothing
- Tarps
- Tables
- Waste Collection Bins
- Scales
- Measuring Tape
- Cameras
- Data Recording Device
Safety and Compliance: Best Practices During the Audit
Maintaining safety and regulatory compliance is critical during a waste audit. The audit team should receive proper training on waste handling procedures and potential hazards, with consistent use of PPE enforced at all times.
Hazardous materials must be identified and managed as per local regulations, and sanitation practices, including handwashing and equipment sanitization, should be followed to minimize health risks.
Hold a safety session before the start of the audit. Walk through the rules for the site, including but not limited to how to properly wear PPE, the proper method for opening and sorting through a bag, proper lifting technique, how to handle hazardous materials and what to do in the event of an emergency.
Interpreting Waste Audit Results
Analyzing audit data provides valuable insights for waste reduction. Identifying major waste streams helps determine the most significant contributors to overall waste, while assessing current waste management practices reveals opportunities for improvement. Benchmarking against industry standards or historical data can further guide waste reduction efforts and set measurable targets.
Implementing Waste Audit Changes and Monitoring Progress
Turning audit findings into action requires a structured plan. Organizations should develop a waste reduction strategy with clear initiatives, assigned responsibilities, and measurable targets. Engaging employees and external stakeholders ensures commitment to sustainability efforts, while continuous monitoring helps track progress. Recognizing and celebrating successes also helps to encourage long-term participation of staff and reinforces waste reduction goals.
Benchmark Your Findings
It is essential to compare your findings against industry standards or previous audits. This will allow you to benchmark progress and outline achievable goals and effective waste strategies for the future.
Conclusion: Turning Insights into Action
Despite an increase in awareness, things are not necessarily going in the right direction in terms of waste generation. Until recently, the US outsourced a significant portion of its plastic waste management, but import bans in countries like China and Turkey have fueled a decline in recycling. In fact, there has been a 5.7% reduction in the amount of plastics recycled in recent years. So, as waste and recycling statistics make clear, we all need to take responsibility for our own waste. It’s not enough to believe that someone else is going to do it.
A well-executed waste audit should serve as a foundation for improving your waste management practices. By identifying inefficiencies and implementing targeted solutions, your organization can enhance sustainability, achieve cost savings, and comply with environmental regulations.
But waste audits are not a one-stop shop. With ongoing monitoring and commitment, waste audits can drive long-term positive change, helping businesses contribute to a more sustainable future. If you are interested in carrying out a waste audit, then get in touch with our sustainability team to discover more.
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