Sustainability has become a key focus for businesses striving to reduce their environmental footprint. One of the first steps toward achieving sustainability goals is conducting a waste audit. A waste audit helps businesses understand their waste streams, identify opportunities for reduction, and implement effective waste management strategies.
Today, the EPA has been collecting data to create a national picture of our waste in the United States for more than 35 years. The agency uses the information to measure the success of materials management programs across the country. They also want to have a better picture of the national waste stream. In the year 2018 alone:
“The total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2018 was 292.4 million tons (U.S. short tons, unless specified) or 4.9 pounds per person per day. Of the MSW generated, approximately 69 million tons were recycled, and 25 million tons were composted. Together, almost 94 million tons of MSW were recycled and composted, equivalent to a 32.1 percent recycling and composting rate.” – EPA
How does your business stack up to the national level? How would you know? Here is a step-by-step guide to conducting an effective waste audit for your organization.
What is A Waste Audit?
A waste audit is a systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and evaluating the types, quantities, and sources of waste generated by an organization, household, or facility. It provides insights into waste management practices and helps identify opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials more effectively.
10 steps to Conduct an Effective Waste Audit for Your Organization
1. Understand the Purpose of a Waste Audit
Before diving into the process, clarify the objectives of your audit. It is important to have purposeful goals like, upstream reuse of materials or downstream recycling will lower your businesses carbon footprint.
Common goals include:
- Identifying waste generation patterns.
- Assessing the effectiveness of current waste management practices.
- Discovering opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
- Complying with environmental regulations.
Knowing your goals will help you tailor the audit to gather the most relevant data.
2. Assemble a Waste Audit Team
Involve a diverse group of stakeholders. This may include individuals outside of your internal organization like your suppliers. You can also hire a team of experts like the ones at Engage Energy & Industrial Consulting. We know how to help you manage a waste audit and measure meaningful results. In fact, we want to work with a variety of people from within your organization including:
- Facility managers.
- Employees from different departments.
- Environmental or sustainability officers.
Having a well-rounded team ensures a more comprehensive understanding of waste practices and fosters buy-in for future waste management initiatives.
3. Define the Scope of the Waste Audit
Determine the boundaries of your audit. This is easier to do when you have a clear goal for doing the audit from step one. Once you establish the goal, you can then move onto the scope of work of the project.
- Will you analyze waste from the entire organization or focus on specific departments?
- Over what time frame will the audit occur (e.g., a day, week, or month)?
- What types of waste will you examine (e.g., general trash, recyclables, hazardous materials)?
Clearly defining the scope ensures your data collection is manageable and relevant.
4. Collect and Sort Waste
Collect waste from the selected areas over the defined audit period. When sorting waste, ensure proper safety precautions, such as gloves, masks, and protective clothing. This is the dirty part of the job, but it is vital to understanding the waste concerns for your business.
“Waste audits help identify the types and quantities of waste produced, providing critical data to improve recycling, reduce costs, and minimize environmental impact. They are an essential step towards achieving zero waste and enhancing resource efficiency.” – UNEP Global Waste Management Outlook
Sort waste into categories such as:
- Recyclables (e.g., paper, plastics, metals).
- Compostable materials (e.g., food scraps, yard waste).
- Non-recyclable trash.
- Hazardous waste.
Weigh each category to quantify the volume of each type of waste generated. Once you know the scope of what you are dealing with you can move on to the next step in the waste audit.
5. Analyze the Data
Once the waste is sorted and measured you can then move on to analyze the data. Having a good scope of work will help you to set parameters of measurement. Did you expect to see the results? Were there surprises?
“Conducting waste audits allows organizations to track waste generation and diversion accurately, helping them to identify inefficiencies and implement sustainable waste practices that can save money and support environmental goals.” – U.S. EPA
- The largest contributors to waste.
- Commonly discarded items that could be reduced or reused.
- Contamination in recycling or compost bins.
Use these insights to pinpoint specific areas for improvement. This is where a team that is both internal and external can help you
6. Identify Opportunities for Improvement
Based on your analysis, create a plan to address waste issues. This might include:
- Source reduction: Adjusting procurement policies to avoid unnecessary waste.
- Improved recycling programs: Training staff to sort recyclables correctly or partnering with specialized recycling services.
- Composting: Diverting organic waste to composting programs.
- Donations: Repurposing surplus materials or donating usable goods to charities.
7. Implement Changes and Track Progress
After identifying opportunities, develop an action plan that includes specific goals, timelines, and responsible parties. Did you know that in 2024 we still have approximately 50% of municipal solid waste (MSW) that ends up in landfills?
An astounding 85% of plastics waste generated in the US is sent to landfills and only 5%-6% are being recycled in 2021 according to Smithsonian Magazine. This highlights the challenges of managing waste in the USA. It shows how limited recycling efforts are in the United States. There is so much room for improvement.
Eliminating plastic waste for instance continues to be a priority for many in the sustainability movement. More examples include:
- Reducing paper use by transitioning to digital communication.
- Introducing reusable kitchenware in break rooms.
- Partnering with vendors who use sustainable packaging.
Track your progress through regular waste audits to measure the effectiveness of your initiatives.
8. Engage and Educate Employees
Regular waste audits help businesses demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability by ensuring compliance with waste management regulations and fostering a culture of responsible waste management. However, an audit is only as good as the team leading the effort for change.
The success of any waste management program depends on employee participation. Conduct workshops, create informative signage, and celebrate milestones to keep your team engaged and informed about sustainability efforts.
9. Document and Report Findings
Documenting your waste audit findings is critical for transparency and accountability. Share results and progress with stakeholders to demonstrate your commitment to sustainability and encourage ongoing support.
10. Iterate and Improve
A waste audit is not a one-time event but part of a continuous improvement process. Regularly revisiting and refining your waste management practices ensures they remain effective and relevant to your organization’s goals.
Final Thoughts from the Engage Energy & Industrial Consulting Team.
By understanding your waste streams and implementing targeted improvements, your business can reduce costs, minimize environmental impact, and build a reputation as a responsible corporate citizen.
Waste audits are a cornerstone of effective sustainability efforts. They provide critical insights into the business’ waste produced. Waste audits uncover inefficiencies, highlight opportunities for resource recovery, and identify areas where waste reduction can significantly cut costs. All while improving your businesses’ environmental impact. They are essential for meeting regulatory compliance, supporting certifications like LEED, and fostering transparency in corporate sustainability reporting
The importance of a waste audit is to empower organizations to set measurable goals to reduce landfill contributions, and contribute to a circular economy by increasing recycling and composting rates. Ultimately, they transform waste management from a compliance-driven activity into a strategic initiative that aligns environmental responsibility with financial performance
Embark on your waste audit journey today and pave the way for a greener future! Contact Us today to learn more.
