1. WASTE AUDITING 101

3. What Direction Are You Going?

4. What is a Waste Audit? An inventory of solid waste practices 1. Generation 2. Collection 3. Composition 4. Reduction 5. Reuse 6. Recycling 7. Composting 8. Purchasing

5. Why Perform Waste Audits? Lower disposal costs Lower purchasing costs Revenue from recovered materials Improved public image Improved employee moral Less internal theft

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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

9. Preparing for the Waste Audit

10. 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

11. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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)

16. Make travel arrangements Motel reservations Parking/entry permits

17. Document Preparation Create spreadsheet for waste generation Create spreadsheet for waste sort Create a spreadsheet for recycling Camera for photos

18. Conducting the Waste Audit

19. 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.

20. 2-Yard Dumpster 130% full

21. 3-Yard Dumpster

22. Dumpster Volume Estimating Yard Capacity = Height x Width x Depth 27 Estimate = Average Height of Trash Height of Dumpster

23. 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

24. Collecting Samples

25. Staging Samples

26. Sorting One Bag at a Time

27. Sorting Off of a Conveyor

28. Multiple Person Sorting

29. Weighing the Waste Materials

30. Disposal of Waste Materials

31. Calculating Waste Composition MaterialsWeightTotalPct. Paper3.51229% Cardboard21217% Alum. Cans1128% Containers1.51213% Non-Recyclable41233% TOTAL12 100%

32. Applying Waste Percentages Based on 892 yards per week MaterialsPct.Yds/wkYds/year Paper17%152 7,582 Cardboard3%27 1,338 Alum. Cans2%18 892 Containers6%54 2,676 Non-Recyclable72%642 32,112 TOTAL100%892 44,600

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. Collecting Recyclables

36. Loading Recyclables

37. Storing Recyclables

38. Transporting Recycling Containers

39. Processing Recyclables

40. 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.

41. UMR Compost Facility

42. 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.

43. Writing the Report and Making the Presentation

44. Introduction The scope of work proposed Time period of audit Why the audit was conducted Credit to any funding agency

45. 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

46. Waste Generation Chart

47. Waste Composition Why waste composition is important Methodology for waste sorts Waste sort results in percentage of waste generated Comparison to similar industries.

48. Waste Composition Chart

49. Same Data – Different Chart

50. Composition Comparison Charts

51. 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

52. 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.

53. 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)

54. Provide recommendations to reduce waste and/or reduce waste disposal costs Make recommendations that will be significant Make recommendations brief Make recommendations defensible

55. 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