WASTE AUDITING 101

WASTE AUDITING 101

What Direction Are You Going?

What is a Waste Audit?

An inventory of solid waste practices1. Generation 2. Collection3. Composition4. Reduction5. Reuse6. Recycling7. Composting8. Purchasing

Why Perform Waste Audits?

• Lower disposal costs

• Lower purchasing costs

• Revenue from recovered materials

• Improved public image

• Improved employee moral

• Less internal theft

When to Perform Waste Audits?

• A typical time period (week) that can be used to project monthly and yearly waste patterns.

• Avoid holidays, unusual work flows (either heavy or light) vacations, start-up or close downs.

Where to Perform Waste Audits?

• On-site – (Can’t be done from an office)

• Collection points before pick-up• Dumpster and compactors before

service• Recycling areas• Purchasing

Who Should Perform Waste Audits?

• Waste audits do not require advanced degrees

• Waste audits do not require certification

• Waste audits do not require specialized equipment

• Waste audits are not rocket science

Preparing for the Waste Audit

Meet with the primary contact

• Go over the procedure• Schedule a normal week• Get list of contacts with phone numbers

Custodial staff

Purchasing

Waste hauler

Recycler

Lawn Maintenance

Walk or drive the entire facility

• Get maps of the facility and layout of the buildings

• Chart location and size of dumpsters/compactors

• Visually sample waste composition

Meet with the waste hauler

• Get a copy of the service contract if possible

• Get a copy of the rate schedule

• Get a copy of the pick-up schedule

• Arrange to meet the driver on the first pickup day

• Arrange for extra dumpster at the waste sort location

Meet with the Recycler

• Determine what materials are recycled and how they are prepared

• Get copies of any recycling education materials.

• Get a copy of the collection schedule• Get a copy of the weight or volume of

recyclables collected• Get revenue figures (if possible) for

recyclables sold.

Prepare for the waste sort

• Determine how many different waste streams are generated

• Determine what recycling markets are available

• Reserve an area to conduct the waste sort • Determine the number of samples needed

and the number of sort categories needed• Assemble sort equipment (scale, table, tarps,

containers, safety equipment)

Make travel arrangements

• Motel reservations

• Parking/entry permits

Document Preparation

• Create spreadsheet for waste generation

• Create spreadsheet for waste sort

• Create a spreadsheet for recycling

• Camera for photos

Conducting the Waste Audit

Record Waste Generation• Dumpsters - Estimate the volume of each

dumpster just before it is emptied (use percent full to make the estimate) and record volumes.

• Compactors - Record the time, get the percent of capacity (if available), and record the scale weight for each compactor emptied.

• Talk to the custodial staff and determine when waste is taken to each dumpster. Also determine if there are “peak trash” periods during the week, month, or year.

2-Yard Dumpster 130% full

3-Yard Dumpster

Dumpster Volume Estimating

Yard Capacity = Height x Width x Depth

27

Estimate = Average Height of Trash

Height of Dumpster

Determine Waste Composition

• Determine the types of waste streams based on visual inspection of dumpsters and the function of buildings contributing to the dumpster

• Collect and stage samples for sorting

• Schedule waste sort, set up equipment, and coordinate volunteers if available

• Conduct the waste sort and record the results

Collecting Samples

Staging Samples

Sorting One Bag at a Time

Sorting Off of a Conveyor

Multiple Person Sorting

Weighing the Waste Materials

Disposal of Waste Materials

Calculating Waste Composition

Materials Weight Total Pct.

Paper 3.5 12 29%

Cardboard 2 12 17%

Alum. Cans 1 12 8%

Containers 1.5 12 13%

Non-Recyclable 4 12 33%

TOTAL 12 12 100%

Applying Waste PercentagesBased on 892 yards per week

Materials Pct. Yds/wk Yds/year

Paper 17% 152 7,582

Cardboard 3% 27 1,338

Alum. Cans 2% 18 892

Containers 6% 54 2,676

Non-Recyclable 72% 642 32,112

TOTAL 100% 892 44,600

Observe Reduction and Reuse Possibilities

• What items are being discarded that could be reused?

• What items are being discarded that could be eliminated through better purchasing?

• What Items are being discarded that could be eliminated through different behavior?

• Look over the source reduction checklist for possibilities.

Record Recycling Diversion

• Follow the recycler and estimate the volume of materials collected. Record the type and volume of each material collected.

• Look for possible efficiencies in collecting recyclables

• Ask questions along the recycling route to determine the attitude of workers about recycling.

• Establish a flow chart of how recyclables are moved

from the work areas to the collection truck.

Collecting Recyclables

Loading Recyclables

Storing Recyclables

Transporting Recycling Containers

Processing Recyclables

Yardwaste

• Meet with the grounds superintendent or yard waste service contractor

• Determine how yardwaste is disposed.

• If yardwaste is bagged and disposed, estimate the disposal fee.

UMR Compost Facility

Purchasing

• Meet with purchasing staff and determine what criteria is used for purchases, if recycled content is considered, and How much, if any, is discounted for recycled material products.

Writing the Reportand

Making the Presentation

Introduction

• The scope of work proposed

• Time period of audit

• Why the audit was conducted

• Credit to any funding agency

Waste Generation

• Description of internal waste collection

• What level of service is currently contracted (# of dumpsters or compactors, pulls/wk, and fees).

• Actual waste generation during the auditing period

Waste Generation Chart

Waste Capacity and Actual Volumes 2/4-2/8

0102030405060708090

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thrusday Friday

Cu

bic

Ya

rds

Capacity Actual

Waste Composition

• Why waste composition is important

• Methodology for waste sorts

• Waste sort results in percentage of waste generated

• Comparison to similar industries.

Waste Composition Chart

Waste Composition

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Academic/Administrative Recreation/Special Event Residence Halls Campus Total

Paper Glass Alum. Plas. CB Trash

Same Data – Different Chart

Waste Composition

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Academic/Administrative Recreation/Special Event Residence Halls Campus Total

Paper Glass Alum. Plas. CB Trash

Composition Comparison Charts

Academic Waste Composition by Volume

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Cardboard

Mixed Paper

Plastic

Aluminum

Non- Recyclables

SMSU MU SEMO UMR

Current waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting activities

• List the efforts to reduce waste

• List reuse activities that affect waste generation

• List recycling activities and the amount of material currently recycled

• List composting activities

Purchasing policies that affect waste generation

• List purchasing policies that could affect the amount of waste generated

• List the steps being taken by purchasing to reduce waste generation.

Provide a financial audit of the cost to collect and dispose of waste

• List the total cost for disposal

• List the cost of reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting waste

• List any revenues received from recovered materials

• List any gains from waste to energy activities

• List any savings (probably estimated) gained from waste reduction and proactive purchasing activities.

• List net cost for disposal and recycling (if applicable)

Provide recommendations to reduce waste and/or reduce waste disposal

costs

• Make recommendations that will be significant

• Make recommendations brief

• Make recommendations defensible

Presentation to Management

• Keep the presentation short (10-15 minutes)

• Include the use pictures if possible

• Use graphics to relate waste generation and waste composition numbers

• Spend most of the time discussing the recommendations