What Is A Waste Audit And Why Do One?

Every business produces waste. However, not every business produces the same amount – or the same

kind. Meeting environmental and waste management benchmarks is impossible without a thorough

knowledge of the quantity and kind of waste that your company produces, which is why more and more

companies are opting to conduct a waste audit.

A waste audit is a short, inexpensive process that will give your company a definitive profile of the

types of waste you produce and the typical amount of each kind of waste. When conducted by a

professional waste auditing company, the results you obtain will be highly accurate and can be used to

meet government regulations, to meet or set internal goals, and to verify your company's track record

under Green Building guidelines.

A waste audit is typically conducted by gathering a sample of typical waste disposed of at your facility.

If your company has more than one office location or facility, the waste audit will use samples from

each of the locations. These samples will only involve a small percentage of the total waste thrown out,

but will be gathered over a number of days so that a reasonably randomized, representative sample is

procured.

Each waste sample must then be sorted. Different types of waste are grouped together, for example:

organic waste, recyclable paper, commercial and industrial waste, etc. The total amount of each type of

waste is recorded, but valuable goal-setting metrics can also be ascertained: for example, how many

recyclables were mixed into the general garbage rather than placed in recycling bins, and how much

does this vary by location?

Once sorted and evaluated, the waste is disposed of as normal.

Many offices are tempted to conduct a waste audit on their own, but there are major drawbacks to this

approach. These include:

Employee dignity. Employees are understandably reluctant to sort through waste even when it's

part of an audit. This is not something you should ask your general staff to do.

Safety. Gloves and masks can help protect sorters, but a professional auditing operation will

also use a well-ventilated space and a variety of protective measures.

Accuracy. With a professional waste auditor you can be assured that your samples were truly

randomized and that all results are accurate.

Security. With any waste sample there is a chance that private, sensitive or confidential

documents or their remains will be among the office waste. A professional auditor can

guarantee security and confidentiality.

To learn more about how to get started with a waste audit for your company, call EnviroSolutions, Inc.

today.