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 Industrial,
commercial, and institutional (ICI) sectors produce more
than half the solid waste being disposed of in local landfills.
This comprises the environment and burdens business, as
waste removal and disposal are increasingly costly. Therefore,
an integrated and proactive approach to waste reduction
will not only protect the environment - it will benefit
ICI sectors by saving time and money, and by improving public
image.
Conducting a waste audit is the necessary
first step in any serious attempt to reduce business waste.
This kit provides step-by-step instructions on how to perform
a waste audit for any type of business, whether large or
small. Once you've completed the audit, you can develop
a waste reduction
plan that will set a framework for reducing, reusing,
and recycling solid waste.
For more information contact the
Regional District of North Okanagan at (250) 550-3700 or
email solidsolutions@rdno.ca
Why a Waste Audit?
Businesses conduct waste audits to determine
if diversion programs are necessary and what benefits can
be realized. An effective waste audit is the first step
toward:
- Understanding the waste
stream - Before any diversion program can be designed,
you must know what/how much waste material is being produced.
Information gathered will provide a baseline about waste
materials that can be diverted from disposal.
- Designing waste diversion programs
- To be effective, diversion programs must be designed
to meet the specific challenges of your company's waste
stream and must reflect a solid understanding of the 3R
hierarchy of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.
- Managing recyclable waste - Once
waste has been qualified and quantified and diversion
programs have been designed, resulting reduction policies
and practices must be managed effectively. To that end,
all participants must have a clear understanding of objectives,
policies, procedures, employee responsibilities, technical
options for handling the waste stream, and progress.
- Monitoring progress - An organized
monitoring process will determine if your diversion program
is delivering the intended results. You must review your
waste stream and diversion practices regularly against
base-line information to determine if adjustments are
necessary.
An effective audit process will answer
the following questions:
- What specific waste is produced and how
much is produced?
- Where in the overall operation is the
waste produced?
- Is any of this waste currently being recycled?
- Can any of this waste be used in another
part of the operation?
- Do we know of anyone else that can use
this waste?
- Can we produce less of this waste or eliminate
it entirely? Will the quantity change with anticipated
new business?
The user-friendly forms included will
help you answer these questions systematically:
To conduct an effective audit, you must
also:
- Get employees involved. They can
provide information about the waste they produce, how
to reduce or eliminate it, and how to enable and promote
employee participation in the 3R hierarchy. If employees
are involved from the beginning of the audit and the development
of a diversion strategy, they will be responsible and
accountable for the outcome.
- Understand each operation fully
so you can determine if there's a better way to operate.
Can you produce less/no waste or produce a better quality
waste, making it more readily recyclable or suitable for
a value-added product?
- Understand potential markets and
commodity values, government regulations, transporting
products, etc. Once programs are designed, there must
be an ongoing education program to keep everyone on stream.
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