Conduct A Waste Assessment

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Affordability

There are several options for conducting a waste assessment. External consultants can expedite the process and provide resources and education. A self-assessment costs only staff time. The best approach and the cost will vary depending on the size and complexity of your business and the types of assessments required. Some municipalities offer no-cost waste assessments.

Cost savings

Information from a waste assessment will allow you to calculate potential financial and environmental savings of a good waste management program. It establishes a starting point for calculating cost savings through reduction of unnecessary purchases and waste removal fees, and potential revenue generated from recyclables.

Environmental considerations

Waste reduction helps conserve valuable natural resources, reduces pollution and saves energy. Less waste is created when materials are reused and recycled, extending the life of existing landfills and reducing or at least delaying the need for new solid waste processing facilities.

What you need to know

Doing your own waste assessment does not have to be complicated.  Consider the following in your own waste assessment.

• Do this with a team. A waste assessment is a great first project for your green team – it's interesting, produces real information to act on, and can be a good "team bonding" experience. Let your team members dress down for waste assessment day!
• Walk through your business to find out where trash is coming from and where it is disposed of. Make sure that you are doing your walk-through during normal operations and when the trash bins are full so that you can get an accurate picture of actual waste practices. Measure amounts and track your findings.
• Roll up your sleeves, put on a pair of rubber gloves, and actually look carefully at what is in the company waste by sorting a representative sample of waste generated. Make sure to check every department in your business. Sort materials you find in the trash into categories:
  • returnable – you could recoup a fee for returning the item (i.e. beverage containers)
  • recyclable – i.e. you have, or could establish, a program to recycle the item.
  • compostable – organic material
  • dangerous / special disposal – includes batteries, paints and chemicals, etc.
  • residual – must be sent to landfill
• Evaluate your results.
  • Examine residuals. Could some of the materials (i.e. disposable coffee cups) be eliminated from your waste stream through different company practices? Could some be avoided at point of purchase? Is a significant portion coming from a single supplier who might be asked to reduce the packaging or other waste they deliver?
  • Examine recyclables. How much of your company's waste stream is composed of materials that should be recycled? If you already have a recycling program, why is there poor adoption? (Even with three out of every four of the Lower Mainland's businesses recycling, over half of the region's recyclable paper and cardboard winds up in landfill or the Burnaby Waste-to-Energy Facility.)
  • Examine compostables. Is this a significant portion of your waste stream? Does it occur in all areas of your operation or only in limited spots (i.e. lunchroom)?
  • Consider what else you have learned. What is the relative estimated volume / weight of various components of your waste stream? Are certain materials produced in high volume in certain areas and not in others? Where you found a high percentage of recyclables in the waste, was a recycling bin conveniently located nearby – or was material thrown in the garbage because no other receptacle was provided? Try to understand as much as you can from what you have collected.

FAQ

Why is it important to start with a waste assessment?
It's often eye-opening to discover what gets thrown in the trash. Many companies assume that because they have a recycling program, it is well used by employees – often this is not the case. Employees may assume their trash gets sorted for them by janitorial staff, or they may not find recycling options convenient. Company practices (such as catered lunches with plastic utensils) may be causing waste that could easily be avoided. Without taking a close look, you won't start your waste management program with the information you need to succeed.

Sure, it's good to recycle, but if a little material gets sent the wrong way, it's not a big problem.
Landfills in Metro Vancouver and elsewhere in the province have established bans on certain materials. These are items such as corrugated cardboard, recyclable paper, glass, and plastic, and beverage containers – items that can be dealt with through returning / recycling streams and are not supposed to be landfilled. Your company can incur fines if inappropriate materials are sent to landfill.