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Waste Audit Methodology Guide

Acknowledgement

1. Introduction

2. What is a waste audit?

3. Objectives of waste audit

4. How to conduct a waste audit? 4.1 Planning 4.2 Preparation for the waste audit 4.3 Waste sorting procedures 4.4 Cleanup

5. Result analysis and reporting

6. Implementation of an action plan for waste reduction and management

Table of content

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Regarding the accomplishment of this Waste Audit Methodology Guide, as the organiser of the BEC Jockey Club Intelligent Resource Management Programme (the “Programme”), Business Environment Council Limited (“BEC”) would like to take the chance to acknowledge the parties which have offered support to us.

We would like to express our gratitude to The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for the full support in funding the Programme;

Environmental Protection Department as the supporting organisation and the professional advices from Prof. C.S. Poon of PolyU Technology and Consultancy Co. Ltd.

Last but not least, we would also like to take this opportunity to thank the participating buildings for their continuous support on waste monitoring and reporting, efforts on reducing waste at source and contribution to the Programme.

Acknowledgement

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In order to establish the benchmarking reference on waste and recycling performance for the property management and schools sector, BEC launched the 3-year BEC Jockey Club Intelligent Resource Management Programme in August 2018. The Programme is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and supported by EPD.

During the period of the Programme, 202 local schools, commercial office buildings and private residential buildings were engaged to continuously adopt practices for waste monitoring, benchmark their waste disposal and recycling performance with both hardware and software support. Along with the implementation of a series of education, engagement activities and waste audits for participating buildings, the Programme aims at promoting the message of “Dump Less, Save More” in the community and encouraging practitioners in the

property management industry and the younger generation to put emphasis on waste reduction and clean recycling.

This Waste Audit Methodology Guide (“the Guide”) is intended to assist property management companies in planning and conducting a waste audit, as well as implementing an action plan for waste reduction and management in their premises. BEC is honoured to present the Guide under the Programme, highlighting the experiences and insights gained from the Programme. However, it should be noted that the planning of a waste audit and an action plan for waste reduction and management might vary and might be subject to each building, while the Guide could provide a reference to the building owners, property management companies or business enterprises for carrying out their own waste audit.

1. Introduction

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• Baseline waste performances of the premises before implementation of waste reduction action plan;

• Quantity and types of wastes in waste samples (e.g. paper, plastic, food waste, etc.); and

• Composition of waste and recyclables in the waste sample (i.e. percentage of recyclables versus general waste)

• To understand the actual amount and composition of waste and recyclables generated in premises;

• To understand the waste disposal habits of premises users;

• To prioritise and set specific targets for waste reduction and management;

• To identify the potential in improving the recycling rate; and

• To identify the opportunities to improve waste management initiatives and develop an action plan for waste reduction and management

2. What is a waste audit?

Identifying the source of the problem is vital to the formulation of effective waste management solutions. The purpose of conducting a waste audit is to give an analysis of waste composition. It allows us to understand:

3. Objectives of waste audit

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4. How to conduct a waste audit

• Different companies;

• Business natures of the companies;

• Floors; or

• Blocks (if the development contains multiple towers)

4.1. Planning

Determine the scope of audit

The scope of waste audit depends on which parts of the premises you would like to analyse and compare in terms of waste disposal and recovery.

For commercial office buildings, the sample groups for waste audit could be divided according to:

Example (scenario):

A commercial office building X consists of three tenants where Companies A and B are of the same business nature, while Company C is not. The sample groups can be divided according to the business nature of these companies.

Building Company Business Nature Sample Group

Commercial Office Building X

ABusiness nature 1 1

B

C Business nature 2 2

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For residential buildings, certain sample groups will be formed according to:

• Floors;

• Blocks (if the residential development consists of multiple towers); or

• Phases

Example (scenario):

Residential Development Y consists of three blocks. These blocks are divided into different sample groups according to the block number.

Regarding the sampling size and period i.e. quantity of waste disposed of by a sample group to be audited, in general, more samples are desired to achieve higher statistical accuracy, but higher man-hours and costs are required. Property management companies should consider the balance between the accuracy and the cost.

Type Block Sample Group

Residential Development Y

1 1

2 2

3 3

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Formation of a waste audit team

A waste audit team generally comprises an audit coordinator, data loggers, sorters and cleansing team (depending on the scale of the waste audit) shall be arranged to conduct the on-site waste audit.

Audit Coordinator

Sorters (at least 2 members)

Cleansing Team (at least 2 members)

Data Logger (at least 1 member)

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b. Data Logger

The data logger is responsible for recording the total weight of waste collected during the period of waste audit, and the weight of each type of waste that has been sorted. The data shall be jotted down on the Waste Composition Record Sheet. Proper photo record shall be kept during the waste audit for identification of abnormal practices if any. The data logger shall pay extra attention to the accuracy of data recording, as data recorded will be used for data analysis.

a. Audit Coordinator

The audit coordinator is responsible for preparing and leading the implementation of audit and shall ensure that all preparations are properly carried out before the frontline members begin auditing and measuring waste. The property management manager or officer, who is familiar with the waste management in the building and the purpose of the audit, shall play this role. During the waste audit, the audit coordinator is responsible for overseeing the work flow, providing technical advice to the frontline workers and supervising them in completing the waste audit accurately.

c. Frontline Sorters

Under close on-site supervision of the audit coordinator, frontline sorters will be assigned to weigh, identify, sort and collect waste throughout the waste audit session. Responsible for sorting the waste samples according to the categorisation decided in the scope of audit, they also have to divert the sorted waste samples into labelled garbage bags or containers for weighing. Frontline workers shall be familiar with the waste categories in order to sort the waste accurately.

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d. Cleansing Team

The team is usually formed by the cleansing workers of the building who will be responsible for waste collection before the audit, disposal and diversion of bags after data recording, cleaning the ground sheet and surrounding area after the audit.

Waste Composition Record Sheet

Name of auditor(s)

Location of audit Time (Start) (End)Source of waste:

Total weight of waste

Bin no.

Recyclables

R1 Food waste

R2 Paper

R3 Plastics

R4 Metals

R5 Glass bottles

R6 Tetra-paks

R7 Polyfoam

R8 Reusable items

R9 Other recyclables

Non-Recyclables

W1 Non-recyclable wastes 1 (to bedirectly disposed of at landfills)

W2

Non-recyclable wastes 2 (suchas Chemical Waste, ClinicalWaste and Construction Waste)(NOT to be directly disposed ofat landfills)

Remarks：

Page ______

Waste Composition Record Sheet

Site selection for on-site audit

A suitable location for on-site waste audit should not be overlooked. It is suggested that the minimum size of the audit area should be 4m x 4m. To enhance the occupational health and safety, attention should be paid to the following DOs and DON’Ts:

DOs DON’Ts

Covered area Locations that are slippery

With good ventilationLocations with strong wind, which

cause the waste sample being blew off easily

Locations being fenced off and isolated from crowd

Locations that visitors can break in easily or crowded

Spacious enough to spread out waste samples

Near carriageway11

Tools and equipment

Garbage bins and clean garbage bags Marker pens, ball pens and labels

Ground sheet Personal protective equipment (PPE)2

Camera

Weighing scale

Tongs

Signage showing “waste audit in progress”

Printed data recording log sheet and category list

2 PPE includes protective suits or coveralls, safety goggles, surgical facial masks, face shields, gloves, disposable shoe covers, etc.

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4.2 Preparation for the waste audit

Notification to tenants / residents

It is recommended that the property management office of the building should notify tenants or residents by different means, e.g. notice or email, about the details of waste audit including the starting date, duration, location, scope of sampling, etc.

Training session for the audit team

Led by the audit coordinator, the training will be provided to the frontline audit team members. The purpose of this training session is to assist the team members in understanding their corresponding roles and responsibilities during the waste audit. Also, the audit coordinator shall clearly divide the duties among team members and illustrate the categorisation of the waste types. The Waste Category Table and examples of different waste types are shown below:

Codes Categories of Waste Descriptions

Recyclables

R1 Food wasteCooked, uncooked and expired food with OR without packaging (including food waste in containers)

R2 PaperNewspapers, magazines, books, office paper, envelopes, shredded paper, cardboard, etc.

R3 PlasticsPlastic bags, plastic food and beverage containers, plastic containers for personal care products, etc.

R4 Metals Beverage containers, food containers, etc.

R5 Glass containers Glass bottles, jars and other types of glass containers

R6 Tetra Paks Multi-layered packaging for milk and juice, etc.

R7 Polyfoam Items made of Polyfoam e.g. packaging, cups, boxes, etc.

R8 Reusable itemsStationeries and consumables that can still be used or items without any damages, including clothes and textiles, furniture, etc.

R9 Other recyclables

Rechargeable batteries, yard wastes, compact fluorescent tubes / lamps (“CFLs”), wood and pallets, and Waste Electronic Equipment and Electrical Equipment (“WEEE”), etc.

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Codes Categories of Waste Descriptions

Non-recyclables

W1Non-recyclable waste 1 (to be directly disposed of at landfills)

Contaminated recyclables, broken items, non-recyclable batteries and toilet wastes

W2

Non-recyclable waste 2*

(NOT to be directly disposed of at landfills)

Chemical waste (e.g. pesticides, paints, corrosive household cleaners, materials with oil stain and fluorescent lamps), and construction waste (e.g. debris, rubbles, earth, concrete and waste wood), etc.

Examples of food waste (R1)

Examples of paper (R2)

Leftover

Shredded / non-shredded office paper

Leftover (of over 50%) in takeaway container

Newspaper

Unopened food

Cardboard (Corrugated fibreboard)

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*All wastes categorised as non-recyclable waste 2 should be treated specially according to the local environmental laws and regulations.

Examples of plastics (R3)

Examples of metals (R4)

Beverage bottle

Plastic bag

Clean beverage / food container

Laundry detergent bottle

Compact disc (CD)

Tableware

Shower gel / body lotion / shampoo bottle

Bubble wrap

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Examples of glass bottles (R5)

Examples of Polyfoam (R7)

Examples of Tetra Paks (R6)

Examples of reusable items (R8)

Beverage / sauce / food container

Polyfoam

Tetra Paks

Items that can still be used / without any damages, including clothes, textiles and

decorations

Examples of other recyclables (R9)

Rechargeable batteries

Toners / ink cartridges WEEE Fluorescent tubes /

lamps (CFLs)16

Examples of non-recyclable waste 1 (W1)

Tissue paper / toilet paper

Photographic printing paper

Pen (Containing plastic and metal)

Carbonless-copy paper (e.g. credit

card receipts, bank deposit

slips)

Plastic-coated paper

Contaminated recyclables (e.g. disposable food containers with

some leftovers or sauces)

Thermal paper (e.g.

receipts from supermarkets

and ATM, betting slips)

Toys made of multiple materials

(containing plastic and metal)

Mirror

Used paper or plastic plate and

cup

Toothbrush (containing

plastic and nylon)Broken items

Clinical waste Construction waste Chemical waste

Examples of non-recyclable waste 2 (W2)

The Waste Composition Record Sheet shall be prepared for the Data Logger before the waste audit. Training materials with photos of different waste types shall be illustrated and provided to the audit team members for easy understanding. As judging the type of waste is not easy for the frontline team members, the audit coordinator should understand thoroughly the waste categorisation and provide guidance to frontline teammates whenever necessary during the audit.

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Audit location set up

Waste collection and segregation

1. The audit coordinator shall coordinate with the frontline team members to collect waste from individual floor / block / company (depending on the scope of the audit), label and separate it accordingly on the audit days.

2. The labelled waste samples, usually collected in 240-L / 660-L garbage bins or garbage bags, shall be kept and placed at a designated location, for example, a selected area in the refuse room, according to the sampling period decided before the waste audit.

3. The waste audit will be conducted after waste collection completed for a whole day by the cleansing team, so that the waste disposed of by building users in a day can be recorded. The cleansing team shall transfer the collected waste samples to the location where the audit is conducted, so as to ensure the waste samples are collected in a systematic way and ready for the audit.

4. Empty containers or bags shall be labelled with different waste categories, for instance, paper, plastics, metal, etc., for the purpose of waste sorting. The labelled containers or bags shall be prepared before the audit and shall be placed in the designated location where the audit will be conducted.

1. Display signage bearing the wording “waste audit in progress” and fences to prevent passers-by from entering.

2. Place the ground sheet on a dry surface.

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4.3 Waste sorting procedures

4.4 Clean-up

1. All audit team members shall put on their PPE before waste sorting.

2. The data loggers shall record the date, time and location of the audit, as well as the source of waste samples on the Waste Composition Record Sheet.

3. The data loggers shall take photos for record-keeping during the audit, especially the photos of waste samples before and after sorting. This helps investigate the abnormal findings after the on-site audit.

4. Samples are sorted according to the Waste Category Table. The sorted waste of each waste type shall be put into labelled containers or bags during the

audit. Waste collected from washrooms is not recommended to be opened and sorted due to hygienic concerns.

5. The sorted waste samples of each waste type shall be weighed by an electronic scale and the weight of each waste type shall be recorded on the Waste Composition Record Sheet.

6. The time when the sorting of all waste samples in the same group is completed shall be recorded, which helps tracing the photo records in accordance to the photo taken time.

7. Repeat step 2 to 6 for other groups of waste samples.

1. Divert clean recyclables to recycling bins.

2. Dispose of the audited samples which are classified as non-recyclables into disposal bins and transfer them to the refuse room of the building.

3. Dispose of all the single-use PPE including suits or coveralls, shoe covers and gloves, etc.

4. Clean and disinfect the ground sheet and the surrounding area.

• Make sure that only waste samples from the same group shall be sorted at a time.

• Do not reach into the waste with bare hands but use a pair of tongs.

• Remember to take notes and photos of special / abnormal waste types.

Remarks:

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5. Result analysis and reporting

Data collected during the waste audit shall be consolidated in the excel spreadsheet for further calculation and analysis. A sample is shown below. The following information shall be included in a waste audit report:

The result of the waste audit can be shared through different channels, e.g. notice in lifts, notice board, intranet, etc. to inform the tenants or residents of the premises, raising their awareness of waste reduction and recycling.

1. Data summary of the weight and percentage of each type of waste generated by each sample group and the whole premises;

2. The percentage of each type of waste stated on the waste category table for each sample group presented in pie charts;

3. The percentage of each type of waste stated on the Waste Category Table for the whole premises presented in pie charts;

4. The comparison of waste composition of each sample group presented in bar charts; and

5. The estimated annual waste disposal from each sample group and the whole premises.

Waste Composition Summary

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6. Develop a waste reduction and management action plan

The analysis of the waste audit results provides the basis for implementing the action plan for waste reduction and management. After the waste audit, the potential for recycling specific types of waste shall be identified. For example, if a large portion of paper is found in the general waste stream, the property management company can consider some strategies or activities which focus on paper recycling. The waste audit also helps to reveal the deficiency in the current practice of waste management in the building and allows the property management office to establish and improve policies, practices and facilities by implementing a comprehensive action plan.

The property management company can formulate a comprehensive action plan to enhance waste reduction and resource recycling in the following aspects:

1. Review the sufficiency and location of recycling facilities.

2. Review the current green promotion and educational activities.

3. Review the current monitoring practice of waste reduction and recycling.

4. Plan a schedule for the action plan for waste reduction and management.

5. Conduct regular waste audit to track improvement and review overall effectiveness of current waste management practices.

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Contact Us

Business Environment Council Limited

Website: www.bec.org.hk

DisclaimerThe information provided in the Guide is for informational purposes only. BEC has made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time while we assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any other inconsistencies herein and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions.

This publication is meant as a source of valuable information for the reader, however, it is not meant as a substitute for direct expert assistance in waste audit. If such level of assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.BEC holds the copyright to the information in the Guide unless otherwise stated.