You want or need to make a significant impact on waste reduction for your organization. How do you go about it?  Conducting a Waste Audit will help you meet your goal of waste reduction and saving on the cost of waste disposal.  The most effective means of solid waste reduction is prevention.  By conducting a solid waste audit, you will determine where you can prevent/reduce the volume of waste at the point of generation.  This is also known as source-reduction.

3. Waste composition analysis.  (Refer to your worksheets 5)

a)      Determine the total materials recycled in tons/yr, using the survey.


b)      Obtain the actual amount of waste disposed.  The waste management coordinator or the assistants should contact the waste hauler for each facility site. 

c)      Calculate the average amount of waste material disposed.  Identify the:

1. type of disposal container

2. size of container

3. number of containers

4. frequency of collection

5. percentage filled at the time of collection

6. materials that are hazardous/toxic, and require special handling and disposal

(See sample worksheets 2 for actual calculations.)

d)      Calculate the total waste generated.  Add the total waste disposed in tons/yr (b or c) to the total materials recycled in tons/yr (a).  The recyclables are included because they are still considered waste until they have been reused.

e)      Determine the waste composition. Take a random sample of waste generated by the facility.  Categorize and separate the waste into as many groups as necessary.  Weigh each category and find percentage of each type of waste. Types of waste can be categorized into a pie chart.

f)        Find total waste generated in a specific category.  Multiply the material percentage of that category (e) by the total waste generated by the facility (d).  Then, add all the material percentages and the material per waste generated for totals.

g)      See worksheets 6 and 7 from A Business Guide for Reducing Municipal Solid Waste for additional analytical worksheets.  (Identifying potential waste reduction options; Economic and operational feasibility.)

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4. Maximizing Recycling.  Compare the quantity of each material recycled to the quantity generated as determined in (f).





• Find the material recycling rate.  Divide the materials recycled in tons/yr (a) by the material/waste generated in tons/yr (f), and multiply by 100.

• Find the facility’s recycling rate.  Divide the total materials recycled in tons/yr (a) by the total waste generated in tons/yr (d).
  
  

• See worksheets 8 from A Business Guide for Reducing Municipal Solid Waste.

• When meeting with recycling companies interested in purchasing your collected waste materials, ask the following questions:
  
  

  1. What types of recyclables will the company accept and how must they be collected?

  2. What contract terms will the buyer require?

  3. Who provides transportation?

  4. What is the schedule of collections?

  5. Are there maximum allowable contaminant levels and what is the procedure for dealing with reject loads?

  6. Are there minimum quantity requirements?  (Consider working with neighboring offices or retail stores if your volume is below the minimum requirement.)

  7. Where will the waste be weighed?

  8. Who will provide containers for recyclables?

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5. Evaluation and Monitoring.
   Before implementing any change in waste collection, consider the following:

• Effects on product or service quality and product marketing;

• Compatibility with existing operations;

• Equipment requirements;

• Space and storage requirements;

• Operation and maintenance requirements;

• Staffing, training, and education requirements;

• Implementation time;

• Effects on employee morale

Ask the following questions:

• Do employees have desktop or under-desk waste containers? A desktop container, such as a file folder or a corrugated box, would be perfect for storing recyclable paper. Under-desk containers would be easy to reach and hold more waste.

• Are there adequate centralized containers?Ask employees to dispose of desktop containers at the centralized container. There should be approximately one centralized container for every ten employees. In cases other than waste paper, place clearly marked centralized waste containers near dining areas, elevators, etc.

• Inform employees about the recycling program. Get them involved through contests, staff meetings and training sessions, employee newsletters, e-mails, incentives,etc.

• Is there adequate custodial support?

• Designate one centralized location for recyclables storage and pick-up. Also, many recycling vendors supply centralized recycling containers (e.g. hampers) at no charge.

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6. Using a Waste Audit for Source Reduction.

For Writing/Printing Paper:

• Post office announcements in central locations as opposed to individual announcements.

• Share and circulate documents.

• Set up central file locations.

• Reformat fax to omit cover sheet, or adopt a small stick-on fax label.

• Edit on the computer before printing.

• Store files on computer disks.

• Use small pieces of paper for short memos.

• Single space documents.

• Set margins narrower for drafts.

• Change margins to avoid pages with little text.

• Use smaller font point size.

• Refold or re-label to reuse file folders.

• Target specific audiences for direct mail, to reduce junk/bulk mailings.

• Remove duplication on mailing lists.

• Use two-sided copies (duplexing).

• Print rough drafts and informal memos on the unused side of waste/scrap paper.

• Load laser printer paper trays with draft paper.

• Reuse draft and computer paper for notes and scrap paper.

• Use undated, erasable wall calendars.

• Reuse envelopes with metal clasps or tie closures.

• Use reusable envelopes for inter-office mail.

• Reduce the amount of advertising mail you receive by writing Direct Marketing Assoc., Mail Preference Service, POB 3861, NY, NY 10163-3861.

• Donate old magazines and journals to hospitals, clinics, or libraries.

More information about Paper

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For Packaging:

• Order merchandise with minimal packaging, in concentrated form, or in bulk.

• Ask suppliers to minimize packaging on orders.

• Request that deliveries be shipped in returnable containers.

• Return, reuse, and repair wooden pallets.

• Reuse newspaper and shredded paper for packaging.

• Reuse foam “peanuts,” “bubble wrap”, and cardboard boxes, or find someone who can.

• Set up a system for returning cardboard boxes and foam “peanuts” to distributors for reuse.

• Use reusable boxes for shipping to branch offices, stores, and warehouses.

• Where appropriate, consider rebuilding or fixing packaging material (e.g., reels, wooden pallets).

More information about Packaging

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For Equipment:

• Consider renting equipment that is used only occasionally.
  
  

• Consider using remanufactured office equipment.
  
  

• Invest in equipment that facilitates waste reduction, where feasible, such as:
  

1. high quality, durable, repairable equipment

2. copiers that make two-sided copies.

3. Reclaim usable parts from old equipment.

4. Rotate tires on company vehicles on a regular basis to prolong tire life.- Keep tires properly inflated.

5. Find uses for worn out tires (e.g., landscaping, swings)

6. Implement preventative maintenance to prolong the life of copiers, computers, etc.

7. Consider using rechargeable batteries.

8. Consider installing reusable furnace and air conditioner filters.

9. Recharge or rebuild fax and printer cartridges.

10. Sell or give old furniture and equipment to employees, or donate it to a local charitable organization.

11. Encourage the building manager to install reusable air filters in your buildings’ heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.

12. Maintain as necessary.

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For Landscaping/Organics:

• Compost grass clippings and leaves or ask your landscape contractor to compost these items.

• Use compost as a topsoil amendment or request landscape contractor to use it.

• If unable to compost onsite, investigate sending yard trimmings to a central composting facility.

• Choose a landscape design that needs low maintenance.

• Use a worm bin (vermicompost) to convert non-fatty food wastes into hi-quality potting soil.

• Use a mulching lawnmower and leave grass clippings on lawn

More information about Landscaping

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For Purchasing:

• Substitute less hazardous or non-hazardous materials for hazardous materials (i.e., some inks, paints, cleaning solvents).

• Where appropriate, use products promoting waste reduction (durable, concentrated, recyclable, reusable, high quality).

• Order supplies by voice mail or electronic mail.

• Consider using optical scanners, which give more details about inventory, allowing more precise ordering

• Where appropriate, order supplies in bulk to reduce excess packaging.

• Avoid ordering excess supplies that will never be used, take up space and can become waste.

• Buy recycled materials.

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For Over-stocked, exchangeable items:

• Donate surplus produce and past pull-date perishables to food banks, if still edible.

• Advertise surplus and reusable waste items through a commercial waste exchange or donate to a material exchange for possible distribution to schools or non-profit organizations.(material exchanges).

• Set up an area in your business for employees to exchange used items.

• Use Reverse Logistics to locate usable overstock or surplus and consider: recondition, remanufacturing, or refurbishing products

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For Food and Personal Service:

• Consider using durable towels, tablecloths, napkins, dishes, flatware, cups, and glasses.

• Consider using cloth roll towels, hot air dryers, or large paper rolls in restrooms.

• Use unbleached coffee filters.

• Offer smaller portions (e.g., child’s menu) to reduce food scraps.

• Encourage customers to take home extra food.

• Investigate opportunities to sell/give food scraps to farmers to process it for animal feed.

• Arrange to have food bank pick up leftover food.

• Consider composting food scraps.

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For Consumer Choices:

• Teach your customers about the importance of reducing waste.

• Encourage reuse of shopping bags by offering customers the choice of buying their own bag, complimenting customers who reuse bags, providing a financial incentive for reuse, implementing a promotional campaign.

• Offer customers a rebate when they reuse grocery bags, containers, mugs or cups for refilling.

• Provide consumers a choice of products that include recycled and recyclable materials.

• Offer customers waste-reducing choices.

• Encourage the return of metal hangers at the dry cleaners.

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Much of this information is based on the :

Bergen County Utilities Authority Business Waste Audit Manual, prepared by Mark Vangieri, Solid Waste Manager, tel:  (201) 807-5823, Foot of Mehrhof Road, Little Ferry, NJ 07643

And

The Waste Audit Manual for New Jersey State Agencies, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, Division of Solid Waste Management Office of Recycling and Planning, Bureau of Source Reduction and Market Development.

And

A Business Guide for Reducing Municipal Solid Waste, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460, January 20, 1993.

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For pictures from the SWPG Waste audit conducted with students at the Lawrenceville School, Dec 2002 Click Here