Waste Audits

Want to reduce waste, improve operational efficiency, and identify opportunities to save money and resources? A waste audit provides the data needed to understand what your organization is throwing away, why it is being discarded, and what can be done differently.

WHAT IS IT?
A waste audit measures and evaluates the materials moving through an organization's waste and recycling systems. It provides a clear picture of what is being generated, how materials are being handled, where they ultimately go, and where opportunities exist to reduce waste and increase diversion. Depending on the type of audit, the process can identify improperly sorted materials, unnecessary purchasing, contamination, inefficient collection practices, materials with reuse or recycling potential, and opportunities to reduce disposal costs. Waste audits also establish measurable baseline data. Conducting audits periodically can help organizations track progress, evaluate waste reduction initiatives, maintain successful programs, and identify new opportunities as operations change.
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TYPES OF AUDITS
Not every organization has the same waste challenges or goals. WasteCap offers three primary types of waste audits designed to evaluate different aspects of an organization's materials and waste management system.

Operational Waste Audit 
An Operational Waste Audit examines how and why materials move through an organization's waste and recycling systems. Rather than focusing exclusively on what is in the waste stream, it evaluates the processes, infrastructure, communication, equipment, and decisions that influence material management.​

An Operational Waste Audit may examine questions such as:

• What options do employees have for properly sorting materials?
• Are containers, signage, and collection systems designed to minimize contamination?
• How are waste and recycling procedures communicated throughout the organization?
• What processes and equipment are used to collect and handle materials?
• How are waste and recycling services billed?
• Where do collected materials ultimately go?
• Are current hauling schedules, container sizes, and service levels appropriate for the organization's needs?

Operational audits can identify weaknesses in existing systems and opportunities to improve collection efficiency, reduce contamination, increase diversion, and potentially lower material handling and disposal costs. Findings can also provide valuable information for evaluating the cost and operational impact of proposed changes.

Waste Characterization Audit
​A Waste Characterization Audit answers a fundamental question: What is actually in your waste stream? During a characterization audit, materials are identified, sorted, measured, and categorized to provide a detailed snapshot of what an organization is generating and discarding. The resulting data can be used to determine:

• The types and quantities of materials being generated
• The organization's current waste diversion rate
• Materials being disposed that could potentially be reused, recycled, composted, or otherwise diverted
• Contamination within recycling and other collection streams
• The organization's potential for additional diversion
• Which strategies could have the greatest impact on waste reduction

Waste characterization data can also be extrapolated to estimate monthly or annual material generation, providing organizations with a stronger foundation for setting goals, evaluating programs, measuring progress, and conducting cost-benefit analyses for future waste reduction initiatives.

Zero Waste Audit
​A Zero Waste Audit is designed for organizations that want to move beyond incremental waste reduction and establish a measurable pathway. Zero Waste is not simply about recycling more, it requires looking upstream at how materials are purchased, used, managed, and ultimately discarded, with an emphasis on preventing waste from being created in the first place.

Recognized Zero Waste certification must reach 90% or greater diversion from landfill as the key performance benchmark, with specific requirements depending on the Zero Waste standard or certification being pursued.

A Zero Waste Audit examines an organization's material flows from purchasing through end-of-life and may evaluate:

• What materials are entering the organization and in what quantities?
• Which materials are ultimately being disposed?
• What is the organization's current diversion rate?
• Which materials could be eliminated or reduced at the source?
• Where could reusable alternatives replace single-use materials?
• Which materials could be recycled, composted, donated, recovered, or otherwise diverted?
• How are purchasing and procurement decisions contributing to waste generation?
• Where is contamination preventing successful diversion?
• What operational practices, infrastructure, policies, or vendor relationships need to change?
• What documentation and tracking systems are needed to measure progress?

For organizations pursuing formal Zero Waste TRUE Certification, an audit can also help establish baseline performance, identify gaps between current operations and certification requirements, and determine priorities for moving toward 90% or greater diversion. A Zero Waste Audit ultimately provides a roadmap for changing the systems and decisions that create waste, rather than simply managing materials after they have already become waste.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
Waste audits turn assumptions about waste into measurable data. Depending on an organization's operations and waste streams, an audit can uncover opportunities to:

• Reduce waste sent to landfill
• Lower hauling and disposal costs
• Improve recycling and reduce contamination
• Eliminate unnecessary material purchases
• Identify opportunities for reuse and recovery
• Improve collection systems and operational efficiency
• Evaluate vendor and hauling services
• Establish accurate waste and diversion baselines
• Set measurable waste reduction goals
• Track progress and maintain successful programs
• Support Zero Waste and certification initiatives

​The greatest value of a waste audit is understanding where the biggest opportunities exist. Instead of investing time and resources into waste reduction strategies based on assumptions, organizations can use real data to prioritize changes with the greatest operational, financial, and environmental impact. Whether your organization is looking to improve an existing recycling program, understand its waste stream, reduce disposal costs, or work toward Zero Waste certification, WasteCap can provide the data and expertise needed to determine the next steps.