Why Waste Audits are Crucial for Effective Waste Management

A Comprehensive Checklist and Key Takeaways

Waste management is an essential aspect of any manufacturing or corporate operation. Proper waste management ensures that the company remains compliant with environmental regulations, protects the health and safety of its employees, and saves money in the long run. One of the key tools in effective waste management is the waste audit.

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

– Jane Goodall

Conducting a waste audit is the first step towards making a positive impact on the environment and reducing waste. By implementing the recommendations, industrial and corporate companies can work towards a more sustainable future.

 

What is a waste audit?

A waste audit is a systematic review of the types and amounts of waste generated by an organization, with the aim of identifying opportunities to reduce waste, improve recycling, and increase efficiency. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive checklist for conducting a waste audit, along with some key takeaways for manufacturing and corporate companies.

 

Checklist for Conducting a Waste Audit

Conducting a waste audit requires a systematic approach to gather and analyse data. The following checklist provides a step-by-step guide to conducting a waste audit for manufacturing and corporate companies.

1. Define the Scope of the Audit

The first step in conducting a waste audit is to define the scope of the audit. This involves identifying the areas of your organization that will be included in the audit and the types of waste that will be audited. This may include waste generated by production processes, office waste, and waste generated by employee activities such as lunch and coffee breaks.

2. Assemble an Audit Team

The audit team should include representatives from different departments within the organization, such as production, facilities management, and environmental health and safety. The team should also include a waste management expert from a reputable waste management company, who can provide guidance on waste reduction and recycling strategies.

3. Develop an Audit Plan

The audit plan should include the following:

• A schedule for conducting the audit, including the date and time of the audit and the duration of the audit. Make sure the audit is done on a normal week, no special events and generally speaking a full week without any special holidays on going or upcoming.
• A list of the types of waste that will be audited, including production waste, office waste, and employee-generated waste.
• A list of the areas of the organization that will be audited, such as production areas, offices, canteen, break rooms, and storage areas.
• A list of the equipment and supplies needed to conduct the audit, such as scales, labels, gloves, and trash bags.
• A list of the data that will be collected during the audit, such as the weight and type of waste generated.

4. Conduct the Audit

During the audit, the audit team should collect data on the types and amounts of waste generated by the organization. This may include:

• Weighing the waste generated by each department or area of the organization.
• Sorting the waste by type, such as paper, plastics, metals, and organic waste.
• Recording the data on a waste audit worksheet, which should include information such as the type of waste such hazardous and non-hazardous waste, the weight of the waste, and the location where the waste was generated.

5. Analyse the Data

Once the data has been collected, the audit team should analyse the data to identify areas where waste can be reduced, reused, or recycled. This may involve:

• Identifying the most significant waste streams and determining the reasons for their generation.
• Assessing the effectiveness of current waste management practices and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Developing strategies to reduce waste, waste diversion such as implementing recycling programs, reducing packaging, and finding alternative uses for waste materials. The data would provide a perspective on the waste disposal budget.
• Developing an action plan to implement the waste reduction strategies identified.

6. Report the Results

The results of the waste audit should be reported to key stakeholders, including senior management, environmental health and safety staff, and facilities management staff. The report should include:

1. A summary of the types and amounts of waste generated by the organization.
2. An analysis of the data, including the most significant waste streams and opportunities for waste reduction.
3. Recommendations for waste reduction strategies, including the potential cost savings and environmental benefits.
4. An action plan for implementing the waste reduction strategies identified.

 

In the words of William McDonough, “Waste is a design flaw.” So, use the waste audit data to design a better waste management plan. 

What do you do after your waste audit Is done?

1. Get in touch with a trusted waste management company, discuss your waste disposal need such as the bin sizes and frequency of the pickup schedule needed.
2. Recycling plan: Implement your recycling plans as part of the waste removal plan. Your trusted waste management maybe able to help you get a better price for the recyclables.
3. Create guidelines and educate your team members or your cleaning crew team to segregated the recyclables. Such as Do not contaminate the recyclables and segregate correctly.
4. Set goals on your waste, benchmark and estimate on the waste that would be generated.

Some of the goal examples can easily be adopted such as

• Remove single use products / plastics
• Bring your own container or utensils

5. Review regularly. It is advisable to conduct your waste audit every 2 weeks for a period of 3 months and then every quarterly, to monitor and meet the targeted goals set out.

5 Key Takeaways on Waste Audits

Conducting a waste audit can be a valuable tool for improving waste management practices in manufacturing and corporate companies. Some key takeaways from this article include:

1. Waste audits can help organizations identify opportunities to reduce waste, improve recycling, and save money.
2. Conducting a waste audit requires a systematic approach and the involvement of an audit team with expertise in waste management.
3. The audit should include data collection on the types and amounts of waste generated, followed by analysis of the data and the development of waste reduction strategies.
4. Waste audit results should be reported to key stakeholders, with recommendations for waste reduction strategies and an action plan for implementation.
5. Regular waste audits can help organizations monitor and improve their waste management practices over time.

 

 

As the famous saying goes, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Let’s work together to reduce our impact on the environment.