Comprehensive Audit Guide
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WASTE AUDIT GUIDETHE RESOURCE RECOVERY FUND BOARD1Waste Audit Guide1 INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDE1.1 The Need for a Waste Audit GuideAll over the world, businesses and institutions are changing theway they deal with solid waste . Now, waste is increasingly§ regarded as a resource . Here in Nova Scotia, the process ofchange is being driven by the Nova Scotia Solid Waste-Resource§ Management Strategy and new provincial regulations. particular, Nova Scotia businesses and institutions will be § affected by a set of provincial bans on certain materials going § automotiveinto landfills and incinerators .batteries§ This Guide uses a waste audit approach to waste-resource§ Scrap tiresassessment and is an important first step towards a comprehensive§ Waste paint waste reduction program for your organization. It will help you and§ your organization assess your current generation of solid waste (automotiveand to plan the changes necessary to comply with the provincial§ Steel/tin foodregulations. A waste assessment can be an extremely valuableexperience to a forward-thinking business or institution. By§ Glass foodfollowing this visual estimate approach your organization will be in§ an excellent position to implement a sound Waste ReductionAction Plan and help Nova Scotia turn waste into resources.The Guide has been adapted from a document developed by § Halifax Regional Municipality for the Industrial, Commercial andInstitutional sectors (IC&I). The ...
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| Publié par | Obba |
| Nombre de lectures | 9 |
| Langue | English |
Extrait
THE RESOURCE RECOVERY FUND BOARD
WASTE AUDIT GUIDE
Waste Audit Guide
Materials Banned From Landfill and Incineration § Rdmeeeed beverage containers § urroCgated cardboard §Newsprint § Lae-didac automotive batteries § Leaf and yard waste § Scrap tires § Waste paint Ethylene glycol § (automotive antifreeze) § Steel/tin food containers § Glass food containers § Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags & packaging § Hiytneishgd-polyethylene (HDPE) bags & packaging § Compostable organic material
1 INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDE 1.1 The Need for a Waste Audit Guide All over the world, businesses and institutions are changing the way they deal withsolid waste. Now, waste is increasingly regarded as aresource. Here in Nova Scotia, the process of change is being driven by the Nova Scotia Solid Waste-Resource Management Strategy and new provincial regulations.In particular, Nova Scotia businesses and institutions will be affected by a set of provincial bans on certain materials going into landfills and incinerators. This Guide uses awaste audit approach waste-resource to assessment and is an important first step towards a comprehensive waste reduction program for your organization. It will help you and your organization assess your current generation of solid waste and to plan the changes necessary to comply with the provincial regulations. A waste assessment can be an extremely valuable experience to a forward-thinking business or institution. By following this visual estimate approach your organization will be in an excellent position to implement a sound Waste Reduction Action Plan and help Nova Scotia turn waste into resources. The Guide has been adapted from a document developed by Halifax Regional Municipality for the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional sectors (IC&I). The Resource Recovery Fund Board (RRFB) is grateful to HRM for making this available to businesses and institutions throughout the province in this revised form. For more information on the Resource Recovery Fund Board, Inc., its mandate and its programs for waste-recovery, check out the RRFB Website:www.rrfb.comor call 1 (800) 665-LESS.
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Waste Audit Guide
1.2 The Waste Audit Guide This document The Waste Audit Guide-- is based on the traditional method of assessing solid waste generation within an organization --and weighing the materials generated assorting waste. Theis to produce fairly accurate estimates of the goal amount of materials available for source reduction, re-use, recycling and composting initiatives. During the course of its development, the Guide has been tested on a number of businesses and institutions and refined accordingly. The time and resource demands of this process are reasonable. However, it does require the following: ü a "champion" within the organization to lead the process; ü the support of senior management; ü the participation of key staff representatives in a series of 2 or 3 meetings; ü the dedication of one or two employees (depending on the size of the organization) for a couple of weeks to sort and weigh the waste and to summarize the results; and, ü a "buy-in" to the plan from most or all of the employees in the organization if the program is to be successful over the long term.
For those of you who wish to apply a less rigorous (and, therefore, less resource-intensive) method to assess your organization's solid waste-resource management status and opportunities, please refer to theVisual Estimate Assessment Guide can download it. You from the RRFB website (www.rrfb.com) or by calling1 (800) 665-LESSor faxing(902) 662-2396.
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Source Separation is the key
Waste Audit Guide
1.3 Some Points to Consider
The overall goal of this Guide is to assist you in developing a comprehensive waste reduction program for your organization. The 9 Basic Stepsare laid out at the very beginning of doing so for Section 2 (page 5 below). Before you start, however, you should consider the following points.
1. The9 Basic Steps that you, or someone that you assume solicit or appoint, is ready, willing and able to lead the process. The steps are addressed directly to the leader of the process --a waste reduction“championwithin the organization.This is very importantWaste reduction initiatives work much better if. one person coordinates the process and motivates others. If you are not this person, consider appointing someone who has the necessary qualifications and motivation. Alternatively, you could seek a volunteer through your company's internal communication channels (staff newsletter, bulletin boards, etc.). You will find that most organizations have such a person in their ranks. Finally, you could consider the possibility of hiring someone to do the job -- see the box on the next page. 2.Take some time to consider the process in advance of setting it in motion.You may need more flexibility and you may need to “personalize it or tailor it to your organization. For instance, if your organization is small, three meetings may not be necessary. On the other hand, a larger organization may need more than three meetings. While it is possible that these decisions could emerge during the process itself, some serious thought in advance could help reduce unnecessary time spent in meetings. You might also want to enlist some help from a supportive colleague or two who could provide feedback to you before start-up. 3.Getting people “on-side is a very big part of implementing a successful waste reduction plan. You will need support from above and from below in order to make it work. You will also need to consider how you will communicate the plan to all of the employees. In the case of larger organizations, a communications strategy should be developed in tandem with the Waste Reduction Action Plan.
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An Example of "Buy-in" Hotel Halifax was an early player in the waste-resource game through reuse and recycling programs. In May 1998, under the leadership of a Green Team headed by Environ-mental Chairperson Scott Hill, the hotel commissioned a waste audit. The resulting information allowed hotel management and staff to implement an ambitious program of organics separation. Scott Hill believes that getting long-term "buy-in" from the hotel staff is of paramount importance. The key to achieving success is the "on-going education of everyone involved --communi-cating your goals is critical."
Waste Audit Guide
4.Go over the worksheets very closely, first by yourself and then with the people who will be conducting the waste audit component of the process. We have attempted to make the worksheets as self-explanatory as possible, but ambiguities and differing interpretations are always possible with forms that rely on short headings. Also, it is important to recognize that every facility is different. The RRFB has tried to make this Guide and worksheets as generic as possible; however, you may find it desirable to make modifications appropriate for your particular circumstances.
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How to hire a Waste Reduction Coordinator for $100/week! If your organization is a large one and you feel that the work involved in doing an audit and creating a Waste Reduction Action Plan (WRAP) is fairly substantial, you might want to consider the federal government’s On-Site Program. Under this program, an employer can advertise for and hire a professional for six months or more to perform environmentally related work. The candidates must be unemployed and eligible for employment insurance benefits, which they would receive for the duration of the contract. The employer is required to contribute $100 per week to the Program to cover administrative costs. If you would like more information on how this program could help you develop your WRAP, you can call On-Site directly at
The Clean Nova Scotia Foundation Can Help! If you would like some help with your waste audit, why not give CNSF a call? The folks at the Foundation have done many audits. They could help you do your audit, create a Waste Reduction Action Plan, or just make a few improvements in the way you handle solid waste at your facility. CNSF is a registered not-for profit organization. You can reach them at 1-800-665-LESS. If you would like to find out more about the organization, visit the website atac.w.wweaclnsn..
Waste Audit Guide
2 IMPLEMENTING A COMPREHENSIVE WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAM 2.1 The 9 Basic Steps to Implementing a Comprehensive Waste Reduction Action Plan The following steps describe the process involved in implementing a comprehensive Waste Reduction Action Plan. The heart of the process is thewaste audit, which will provide you with the data you need. 1. Commitment of Senior Management
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3. Plan Your W
8. Draft Action Plan
2. Working Group
4. First Meeting
5. Conduct the
6. Analyse Data
7. Second meetin 9. Final
Waste Audit Guide
However, the process itself begins before the audit and continues afterward, through to the development and implementation of the Waste Reduction Action Plan. For some of the9 Basic Steps, the RRFB has produced materials to assist you during the process. Examples include audit worksheets and lists of waste reduction options. These are referred to where appropriate in the discussion of the9 Basic Stepsand are included in the appendices. Detailed instructions on how to use the five worksheets are provided in Sections 2.2 to 2.4. Once you have read this document, make a tour of the facility (unless you are already familiar with the general layout and the way in which solid waste is handled). Then review how the process and the various tools can be adapted to your facility. Now, you are ready to proceed.
Step 1: Obtain Commitment of Senior Management If the assessment process is not being led by senior management, present your case for undertaking this project to them and get a commitment of the necessary resources. This should include the dedication of one or two employees for one to two weeks to conduct the actual audit and summarize the results1. Develop a draft letter of official support for management’s signature. Communicating this to all employees is extremely important.
Step 2: Set up a Working Group Send the letter signed by management to all relevant department heads and set a date for the first meeting. The letter should indicate the meeting will discuss the upcoming waste audit and the intention to develop a Waste Reduction Action Plan using the assessment data. It should also ask each department head to 1 The employees selected to conduct the audit do not require any special qualifications or background. They must be willing to follow instructions carefully and be prepared to sort through some unpleasant materials. Companies often use junior employees or hire students on short term contracts to do this work, as it can reduce the overall cost. 6
Waste Audit Guide assign a representative to attend this and future meetings and oversee initiatives within the department. Because of their crucial role in the handling of waste, a member of the custodial staff should also be asked to attend. In the case of smaller organizations, the letter should be circulated to all employees. Step 3: Plan Your Waste Audit You will need to decide the following in advance of the first meeting: § How,and how often to sample the waste stream. when, § How to collect the samples and how to label them for identification purposes (you will need to know where the materials come from within the organization). § Who will be doing the actual weighing and sorting. Further details on how to make these decisions are presented in Sections 2.2 and 2.3 below. It is very important to do this planning before the first meeting because you will need to discuss the process with the Working Group in order to secure their cooperation in the collecting of the samples. Step 4: Hold the First Meeting §the purpose of the meeting with everyone. Emphasize Discuss the need for diversion and the implications of the provincial landfill/incinerator bans. SeeAppendix Jfor suggestions about social-marketing principles that can be outlined at this meeting. § the person(s) who will be conducting the audit and Introduce discuss the method that you have chosen for collecting the samples and marking them for identification purposes (see Section 2.2 for details). In particular, discuss the roles of each of the members of the working group in assisting with this process (the custodial representative may be a key person in this discussion, depending on the system you have selected for collecting the samples). §a questionnaire for completion by each member of Distribute the working group. This questionnaire should solicit information regarding the current system: which materials (if any) are currently recycled or composted; how do the collection systems for waste and recyclables work; how many 7
Waste Audit Guide containers are there for each material and where are they situated; etc. An example of such a questionnaire is included in this Guide asAppendix I.
§ ask everyone to come to next meeting prepared to Finally, discuss the results of the audit and to participate in the development of a plan to ensure maximum diversion and compliance with the landfill bans across the entire facility. Step 5: Conduct the Waste Audit
The audit may take several days or several weeks to conduct, depending on how you decide to sample the waste. The samples should be taken to an area where there is room to spread a plastic sheet on the floor (or a large table) for sorting. The material is then sorted and weighed by type (organic, corrugated cardboard, polystyrene, etc.) and by source (cafeteria, administration, shop floor, etc.) and the results recorded on copies ofWorksheet 1 (separate worksheets for each source location). Again, this process is covered in much greater detail in Sections 2.2 and 2.3.
Step 6: Analyze the Data Collect all the worksheets from the auditors. Make sure all of the information needed to make decisions on actions is summarized (see Section 2.4). Use the data and information in this document to form some preliminary recommendations (e.g., develop a facility-wide composting program, develop a system to re-use transport packaging, etc.). You can get some guidance in this area from the General Suggestions for 3RsinAppendix E.
Step 7: Hold the Second Meeting
Make a brief presentation on findings to the working group. Lead the discussion about the data collected and your preliminary recommendations. Get the group’s feedback and ask for their commitment (see box on the next page andAppendix J for suggestions on commitment strategies). Hand outIdeas Sheet (Appendix G) a copy of andGeneral Suggestions for 3Rs (Appendix H).Ideas Sheet be filled out and returnedAsk that the
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Waste Audit Guide to you. Schedule a third meeting to finalize a Waste Reduction Action Plan.
Step 8: Do Rough Draft of Action Plan
Use the results of the second meeting and the ideas sent in by the representatives to develop a rough draft of a Waste Reduction Action Plan. This could consist of a brief description of the initiatives to be undertaken, along with a schedule and milestones. Send this Waste Reduction Action Plan to all representatives in advance of the third meeting. Step 9: Hold Third and Final Meeting The goal of this meeting is to finalize the Waste Reduction Action Plan and to discuss implementation. The group should decide on responsibilities and finalize the timelines. Finally, set a date in the future to meet and evaluate the program. 2.2 Preparing for the Waste Audit The waste audit is the part of the process that generates the data needed to develop your Waste Reduction Action Plan. It consists of sampling the waste stream and then sorting and weighing the different materials in the samples in order to get a snapshot of the entire annual generation of solid waste by the facility. Although a waste audit is a relatively simple procedure, there are a few important considerations. These have to do withsample selection,collection procedure, andequipment needs. These considerations are discussed in some detail below. How to select your samples. You want to be sure that the figures you end up with are reasonably accurate. Therefore, you need to think about how the rate of waste generation at the facility varies over the course of a day, week, month and year. Your samples should be representative, either individually or in sum total, of the total waste generated by the facility annually. Are there certain times of the year (e.g., the Christmas season) when more waste is generated? Does the flow of waste have a daily or weekly pattern? You will need to answer these questions, at least in general terms, in order to determine how to select your samples.
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Commitment Strategies and Other Motivational Techniques Asking for a formal commitment from volunteers (especially in a written form) has been clearly demonstrated to substantially increase the likelihood that they will follow through with the action(s) or behaviour change requested. For a summary see Appendix J. For a more thorough discussion of the principles of behavioural psychology as they apply to waste reduction and other environmental activities, obtain a copy of“Promoting a Sustainable Future: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing, by Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr. This document is available from the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, tel: (613) 992-7189; fax:
Waste Audit Guide [NOTE: might seem something like a “chicken and egg This situation, as you are being asked to assess your waste flow before doing your audit. It is important, however, to avoid inadvertent bias in the sampling. The custodial staff should be able to give you a relatively good idea of the “ebb and flow of waste coming out of your facility.] There are a number of different ways to approach the task of designing a sampling protocol. The following are recommended because of their relative simplicity combined with reasonable accuracy. § If waste generation is fairly constant and evenly distributed over time, you can simply pick two or three sample periods (e.g., three 24-hour days) over the course of a business cycle (one week, or the point at which operations begin to repeat themselves). Collect all of the waste during the sample periods2.
§ If your facility tends to have maximum and/or minimum days of the week waste generation (e.g., grocery stores of often generate the most waste on Mondays), you might sample on a maximum day, a minimum day, and on an average day (again, collectingallof the waste for these periods). You could use the average day for your projections and adjust up or down depending on the results of the maximum and minimum-day samples. Alternatively, you could sample only on the maximum and minimum days and treat the resulting figures as upper and lower limits, taking an average to represent your overall generation. § If waste generation typically varies over the course of the year, you could choose a period that lies somewhere in the middle. Sample a few times during that period and consider the results to be an average rate of generation. If you were concerned about upper limits (because of contract agreements, container capacity, etc.), you could also sample during the high-generation period, so that you could plan for peak periods. How to collect your samples.
2 Very large organizations may choose to sample only part of the waste collected during a given time period. In this case, however, care must be taken to ensure that the sample selected is representative of the period. 10
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