IMAGES & ON-

SCREEN TEXT
are portrayed
in ARIAL FONT
NARRATION and
PRODUCTION
NOTES are in
Courier New
font
What is a Waste
Audit ?
What is a waste audit?

(Main Title)
 What is a Waste
Audit ?
Awaste audit is a study of
the quantity, distribution
and composition of the
solid wastes a facility
generates.
It is a study of the quantity,
distribution, and composition
of the solid waste a facility
generates.

(Definition dissolves in)

 Waste Auditing
 Involves determining:
–how much waste is generated
–what kinds of waste are
generated
–sources and causes of waste
Performing a waste audit will
tell you:

- how much waste is generated

- what kinds of waste are
generated
- sources and causes of waste

(Bullet points dissolve in as

mentioned)
 Waste Auditing
 Will help you to identify:
-priority wastes: high-volume, toxic, or
hazardous substances which should be
eliminated
-further opportunities for waste reduction and
pollution prevention
-wastes which can be sold, bartered, or traded
on a materials exchange or elsewhere
Waste auditing will help you identify:
-priority wastes: those high-volume,
toxic, or hazardous substances which
should be eliminated for economic,
environmental, or safety reasons

-further opportunities for waste

reduction and pollution prevention

-wastes which can be sold, bartered,

or traded on a materials exchange
or elsewhere
 Waste Auditing
 Helps you to comply with new
and existing environmental
laws and regulations
 Helps you meet the criteria
for international certification
(e.g. ISO 14000)
Waste auditing also...

helps you to comply with new and

existing environmental laws and
regulations, and...

helps you meet the standards for

international certification,
such as ISO 14000
Environmental

Economic
The benefits of waste auditing are
both environmental and economic.

(Words appear onscreen)

 • less waste
• reduced pollution
Environmental• toxics control
• preservation of
land

Economic
(‘Economic’ grays out; bullet points
dissolve in with the following
narration)

Environmental benefits include

-less waste to be disposed of
-reduced pollution of air, water,
and soil from landfill leachate and
incineration
-reduction or elimination of toxic
substances from the waste stream
-preservation of land, such as
natural areas and farmland
 • less waste
• reduced pollution
Environmental• toxics control
• preservation of
land
•lower costs
•higher efficiency
Economic
•potential revenues
•compliance
(‘Environmental’ and bullet points gray out;
‘Economic’ and associated bullet points
dissolve in with the following narration):

Economic benefits include

-lower costs. Operating costs, waste
disposal costs, and materials costs
will be reduced;
-improved efficiencies in materials
use and in production processes
-potential revenues from the sale
of reusable or recyclable material
-compliance with laws, regulations and
international standards, opening up
broader markets
 ? ?? ?????? ?
How do I perform a
Waste
Audit?
Whether you work for an industry, a
government office, a small business,
or any other institution, performing a
waste audit provides the opportunity
to reduce waste, protect the
environment, and save money. Nearly
every operation benefits from an
examination of its waste generation
patterns. This section of the program
will show you how.
(Music / sfx transition
with animated title)
Waste Auditing: The Basic Steps
1. Review Operations
2. Identify Wastes
3. Plan the audit
4. Conduct the audit
5. Analyze the data
6. Report and implement your
findings
 A waste audit has six basic steps:

(bullet points dissolve in with narration)

1. Review the operations of the facility

or location where the audit will occur
2. Identify the types of wastes which you
will encounter during your audit
3. Plan the audit based upon the information
you gather in steps 1 and 2
4. Conduct the waste audit according to your
plan
5. Analyze the data that you collect
6. Report and implement your findings
Step1. Review Operations
- physical layout
- functional operation
The first step in any audit is to
review the operations of the facility
where the audit will be performed.

You will need to understand both the

physical layout and the functional
operation of the facility.

(Bullet points dissolve in in the foreground

with narration. Background graphic showing
halftone floor plan moves across screen;
halftone animated flowchart [moving arrows
and boxes?] superimposed)
Layout of ABC Company

Cafeteria
Reception

Receiving
Shop

Key waste generating area

A good starting point is to obtain or
create a plan of the physical layout
of your facility. In larger operations,
you may require several such plans.

On the plan, you can identify key

waste generation areas. You will refer
to these later in the auditing process.

Sometimes, waste audits are conducted over

large areas like entire municipalities.
In such cases, details about waste
collection routes, schedules, building
types, and frequency of waste collection are
required.
Background Data
For each facility or department, collect
and record general information
including:
– type of operation
– location of operation
– size of operation
– number of employees
– number of operating days per year
Basic background data is required for
every waste audit. For each facility,
department, or locale, collect and
record general information including:
– type of operation
– location of operation
– size of operation
– number of employees
– number of operating days per year

(bullet points dissolve in with narration)

For each department or activity in larger
facilities you should record:
– names of contact persons
– location of each activity or operation
– size of each operation
– number of employees
– special characteristics of operation (e.g. uses
toxics; has production peaks, etc.)
In larger facilities or operations, more
information may be required to create a
complete waste generation profile. On a
department-by-department basis, you should
record:
•the names of contact persons
–the location of each activity or operation
–the size of each operation
–the number of employees
–any special characteristics (e.g. uses
toxics; has production peaks, etc.)

(bullet points dissolve in with narration)

(Sample Worksheet 3a/b)

PRINT FORM
Other data may be collected and
recorded as required. No two facilities
are identical.

A form like this one is useful for

collecting and organizing your data.
 Existing Waste
Management Systems
and Activities
– reuse systems
– recycling systems
– disposal systems
– informal sector activities
You must also collect information on the existing
waste management activities in place. These may
include:

Reuse - what materials or items are reused onsite

or elsewhere?

Recycling - what materials are recycled onsite or

elsewhere? Where are they collected? Who are the
contractors? What are the costs?

Disposal - who collects your facility’s wastes? What

are the costs? What methods are used?

Informal sector activities - are wastes collected

efficiently by scavengers or self-employed recyclers?
Are partnerships with these people a possibility?
(Sample Worksheet 3c/d/e/f)

PRINT FORM
A worksheet like this one is useful to
help you collect information on existing
waste management systems and activities.
Step 2: Identifying
Wastes

Cafeteria
Reception

Receiving
Shop

Key waste generating area

Step 2 in the waste auditing process is
to identify wastes.

Using your knowledge of production processes

and the map or diagram of your facility
which you obtained or created earlier, you
can identify the different sites in your
facility which generate distinct types of
waste.
(Image of production area)
For example, the production area of a
manufacturing facility might generate:

- corrugated cardboard
- metals
- plastics
- pallets
- sludges

(words or images of wastes appear

superimposed on image of production area
as words are spoken)

(use real examples from facility audited)

(Image of office area)
The office or administrative area of a
manufacturing facility might generate:

- office paper
- mixed paper
- plastics

(words or images of wastes appear

superimposed on image of office or
administrative area as words are spoken)

(use real examples from facility audited)

(Image of cafeteria
or canteen)
The cafeteria or canteen area of a
manufacturing facility might generate:

- food wastes
- glass, metal, and plastic food and
beverage containers
- disposable food service items

(words or images of wastes appear

superimposed on image of cafeteria as words
are spoken)

(use real examples from facility audited)

 Identifying Wastes
Major materials
categories:
PAPER PLASTICS
GLASS TEXTILES
FERROUS METAL LEATHER
NONFERROUS METAL RUBBER
...etc...
Many different categories and types of waste
materials exist. A classification scheme for waste
has been provided in the ‘Materials Identification’
section of this program.

Some standard recommended major materials classes

are: PAPER, GLASS,FERROUS METALS, NONFERROUS METALS,
PLASTICS, TEXTILES, LEATHER, RUBBER, and WOOD.
Many sub-classes of materials can be used in your
audit. The materials classification scheme provided
in this program covers a large number of these, but
individual audits may require additional categories
of materials depending upon the composition of the
wastes generated in the facility.

Preparing a detailed breakdown of waste composition,

using many different categories, is always a good
idea. You can always combine detailed materials
categories into broader categories later, but you
cannot go the other way.
 Step 3: Planning the
Audit
(A) Determine Waste Audit
Methodology
(B) Choose your sample period
(C) Determine Resource
Requirements
The third step in waste auditing is to
plan the audit. This consists of three
tasks:

a. Choose a method
b. Choose a sampling strategy
c. Identify audit resource
requirements

(Bullet points dissolve in in the foreground

with narration.)
 a. Choosing a
method...
 ALL audits identify composition
and quantity of wastes
 Choice of audit depends upon:
– level of accuracy and detail required
– availability of resources
– type and size of facility
– cycles of operation of facility
All waste audits are meant to identify
composition and quantity of waste that
is being generated in a facility. The
most appropriate audit method to use
depends upon:

–level of accuracy and detail required

–availability of resources
–type and size of facility
–cycles of operation of facility

(Bullet points dissolve in in the foreground

with narration.)
 Three main approaches...

BASIC AUDIT:
Visual Assessment

DETAILED AUDIT:
Waste Sampling and Sorting

PROCESS AUDIT:
Input / Output Assessment
There are three main audit methods.
The most basic type of audit is the
visual assessment.

More detailed is the waste sampling and

sorting assessment, a widely used audit
method suited to most purposes.

For production processes and

continuous-flow industrial operations,
the process audit or input/output
assessment provides the most information.
 BASIC AUDIT:
Visual Assessment
 Involves:
– walking through the facility
– visually estimating the volumes
and composition of waste
generated in differnt areas
– estimating the weights of waste
materials.
The most basic form of audit is the
visual assessment.

This is the simplest and least time

consuming method, but also the least
accurate. In most cases, it is useful only
as a preliminary or exploratory audit.

It consists of walking through all areas of

the facility, visually estimating the
volumes and weights of waste materials.
 DETAILED:
Waste Sampling and Sorting
 Involves:
– collecting representative samples of solid
waste at ‘end of pipe’ or in specific areas
– identifying and sorting waste into
categories
– weighing waste from each category
– calculating waste composition
The most widely used audit method is
the waste sampling and sorting
assessment, or detailed audit.
This form of audit involves:
- collecting representative samples of
solid waste at ‘end of pipe’ or in
specific waste generation areas
- identifying and sorting waste into
representative categories
- weighing waste from each category
- calculating total waste composition
 PROCESS:
Input / Output Assessment
 Involves:
– understanding all of the processes in
your facility
– defining process inputs and outputs in
order to determine the material balance
– calculating waste outputs for each
process using material balance methods
For production lines and other
processes, the input / output
assessment may be the most appropriate.
It involves:
- understanding all of the processes
in your facility
- defining process inputs and outputs
in order to determine the material
balance
- calculating waste outputs for each
process using material balance
methods
 BASIC AUDIT:
Visual Assessment
DETAILED AUDIT:
Waste Sampling and Sorting
PROCESS AUDIT:
Input / Output Assessment

BACK NEXT
Each audit method has its own
advantages and disadvantages.

To learn more about the pros and

cons of each audit method, click
on the text.

To continue, cick on the ‘NEXT’

icon.
Table of pros and cons
of each audit method
goes here - text page
modelled on manual, Figure 3.1
(Pros and Cons of different
waste audit methods)
(Branch to table displaying the
pros and cons of each audit
method)
b. Choose a sampling
strategy
You must decide upon:
 location: where to sample
 frequency: when and how often
to sample
 number: how many samples to
take
To develop an accurate waste
generation profile for your
facility, you must decide:
- Location: where to sample;
- Frequency: when to sample,
and how often; and
- Number:how many samples to take.

There is no single sampling

strategy which fits every facility.
You must choose a strategy which
meets the needs of your own audit.
Location: Where should you sample?

 “End of Pipe”
(at the final
disposal bin or
destination)

Indistinct waste
generation areas
In small faciities or companies which
generate only a few types of waste,
then it might be possible to sample
only at the ‘end of pipe’: in the final
disposal bin for the whole facility.

In larger organizations, where different

areas of the facility produce different
types of waste, then you will have to
sample the waste in each waste
generation area.

(graphics appear in sync with narration)

(Sample Worksheet 3g)

PRINT FORM
A worksheet like this one is useful to
help you collect information on
distinct waste generation areas in your
facility.
1999

Sampling Frequency:
When? How often?
When, and how often, should you sample?

Usually, your audit objective will be to

collect a sample of waste that is
representative or typical of waste
generation patterns in your facility.
 1999

Sampling Frequency:
When? How often?

• Choose periods which capture a typical or normal

sample of waste
So you should choose sampling periods which
exhibit normal waste production patterns.
‘Typical’ work days are the best.
 1999

Sampling Frequency:
When? How often?

• Choose periods which capture a typical or normal

sample of waste
• Avoid unusual events (holidays, special deliveries)
Avoid holidays, special activities, or
irregular events like special deliveries.
 1999

Sampling Frequency:
When? How often?

• Choose periods which capture a typical or normal

sample of waste
• Avoid unusual events (holidays, special deliveries)
• Choose a sampling period that can be repeated
in the future
You should also choose sampling periods which
can be repeated in the future. This way, you
can do repeat sampling at a later date in
order to make comparisons and track
improvements you might make as a result of
the insights you gather from your waste
audit.

Continuous improvement is a key feature of

all environmental management systems.
 1999

Sampling Frequency:
When? How often?

• Choose periods which capture a typical or normal

sample of waste
• Avoid unusual events (holidays, special deliveries)
• Choose a sampling period that can be repeated
in the future
• Consider sampling over a period of time to increase
accuracy
If there is some variability in waste
generation in your facility, then you
should consider sampling over a longer
time period to increase the accuracy of your
sample.

For example, you could sample every day for

a week, or randomly on several days in a
month.
 1999

Sampling Frequency:
When? How often?

• Choose periods which capture a typical or normal

sample of waste
• Avoid unusual events (holidays, special deliveries)
• Choose a sampling period that can be repeated
in the future
• Consider sampling over a period of time to increase
accuracy
• Consider the cycle of activities in your facility (e.g.,
annual production or business cycle, work year, etc.)
You must also consider the cycle of
activities in your facility. Some facilities
have predictable seasonal changes in waste
generation - for example, in schools, waste
generation drops off during the summer
holidays. Some factories, such as fruit
canneries or clothing manufacturers, produce
different product lines from season to
season, generating different types and
amounts of waste.

You must take this into account when

planning your sampling strategy.
 How many samples
should you use?
QUANTITY:
• take enough samples to get a representative profile
of the quantity of waste generated over time ==>
sample at least once in every waste generation area
When determining the quantity of waste
produced in your facility, you must decide
how many samples to take.

You must sample at least once in each waste

generation area. If the amount of waste
is highly variable from sample to sample
over a given time period, then more samples
are required.
 How many samples
should you use?
QUANTITY:
• take enough samples to get a representative profile
of the quantity of waste generated over time ==>
sample at least once in every waste generation area

COMPOSITION:
• when the composition of successive samples
from a given waste generation area remains
relatively constant, the sample size is large enough
In waste generation areas which produce
waste made up of many different materials -
like a cafeteria, for example - the
composition of each successive sample
might vary.

As a rule of thumb, when no new materials

appear in subsequent samples taken from a
given waste generation area, and when the
per cent composition of each material in the
waste stream begins to stabilize, then the
sample size is large enough.
 d. Identify your
resource requirements
You must have adequate:
 People
 Time
 Space
 Equipment
To conduct a successful audit, you need
enough people, time, space, and equipment to
perform all of the necessary tasks.

•How many people will be needed? What will

each person do?

•How much time will you need to plan, conduct,

and follow up on the audit?

•Where will the work be performed? Is the

physical space available adequate?

•What kind of equipment and safety gear will

you need?
 Equipment :
 weigh scales
 pails or containers for waste samples

 garbage containers or bags

 sorting table

 tongs

 Safety gear: gloves, face masks,

safety glasses, aprons

 specialized equipment
Most solid waste audits require only basic
equipment: weigh scales in appropriate
capacities, containers or pails to hold and
sort waste samples, garbage containers or
bags for refuse, a sorting table to sort
samples, and tongs to separate waste into
different categories.

Safety equipment is also necessary, unless

you are absolutely sure that the material
being sorted is harmless. Gloves, face
masks, safety glasses, and aprons are
useful in most audits.

(show separate images of equipment)

Step 4. Conduct
the Audit
Step 4 of the waste auditing process
is to actually conduct the waste
audit. Data from this part of the
process will give you insights into
how to reduce waste and improve the
efficiency of your facility or
operation.

Since you just reviewed operations and

planned your audit, you now know the
locations of waste generation areas in
your facility, and you have determined
the sampling strategy that you will use.
 Detailed Audit:
Steps Involved
 Record total amount of waste
generated during the time period
selected
– usually recorded by weight
– sometimes recorded by volume, or
other specialized measurement units
For each waste generation area, record the
total amount of waste generated over the
time period you have selected.

Generally, you will weigh the waste

materials, although for some types of
wastes, you might record waste generation
by volume or some other specialized units.

If you use subsamples, remember to record

the weight of each subsample before
sorting it into categories.

(background image of crew weighing sample

of unsorted waste, with text superimposed)
(image of waste being
dumped on sorting table)
Next, transfer the weighed sample to the
sorting area in preparation for sorting.

Most samples can be easily sorted on a

sorting table like this one, using tongs.
 (image of crew
sorting waste
into categories)

 Sort waste into desired categories

Next, sort the waste into the desired
material classes.

You may sort the entire sample, if it

is small enough, or you might sort only
representative subsamples of the total
sample of waste, depending upon your audit
plan.
(buckets with sorted
materials in them)
Separate containers can be provided for each
class of material, making sorting easier.
(image of sorting crew taking
different material classes from
table using tongs)
If you have a crew of several people,
sorting proceeds quickly if each person
specializes in just one or two waste
categories at a time.

Concentrate on sorting out the most common

categories of materials at first, as these
will usually be the most important
components of the waste stream.

Later, as time permits, you can sort out

less common materials in the sample.
(bucket with partially sorted
materials in them, e.g. mixed
plastics or clear / coloured glass)
Sometimes it is more efficient to sort the
waste into broad material classes at first,
then to do a finer sort into more detailed
material classes later.
 (image: weighing of a
single category of
material)

 Weigh each category

Next, weigh each class of material and
record the weight. Data may
be simply written onto a printed version of
the form, or entered directly into a laptop
computer.(inset: waste audit form appears)

Remember: it is always better to have many

narrow material categories that you can add
together later, rather than a few broad
material classes which do not give you
enough resolution about the composition of
the waste stream.
 Step 5:
Analyzing Waste
Audit Data
Step 5 in the process is to convert your
raw sample data into useful information
by analyzing the data.

You can determine your waste composition

and annual waste generation rate,
and identify opportunities for source
reduction, reuse, and recycling of the
various materials in your waste stream.
The electronic spreadsheets provided with
this CD have columns for gross weight,
tare weight, and net weight of each material
class.

Remember to record the tare weight, which

is the weight the of the container that you
use to weigh each material class. It must be
subtracted from the gross weight of each
sample. The electronic spreadsheet will
perform these basic calculations
automatically.

(column titles highlighted as they are

mentioned)
• total net weight = sum of net weights of
each separate material category
The electronic spreadsheet also
automatically determines the total net
weight of all materials in your sample,
by adding together the net weights of each
separate material category that you enter.

You will have to perform these calculations

manually if you are using printed forms.
 Calculate per cent composition for each class =
net weight of class / total net weight of sample
The per cent composition of each material
is calculated by dividing the net weight of
each material by the total net weight of
all materials in the sample.
 Annualize data
Since you know the amount of time it took
to collect your waste sample, you can
easily calculate the amount of waste that
would be produced over a full year.

This is known as annualizing the data. It

provides useful information as to where
reduction, reuse and recycling initiatives
should be focused.

Again, the electronic spreadsheet will do

this automatically once you provide
information about the time period over which
your sample was taken.
Analysis of waste audit data can identify:
 how much waste is being produced
 what kinds of waste are produced
 where waste is generated
 why waste is being produced
Analysis of the waste audit data you collect
can identify:

- how much waste is produced in each area,

and in the entire facility;

- what materials are being wasted;

- specific areas where wastage is occurring;

- why waste is being produced

(e.g., production inefficiencies)

This information can be reported in your

waste audit report.
 Step 6:
Preparing a Waste
Audit Report
Step 6 of the waste audit process is to
prepare a waste audit report.
 Waste audit report
contains data on:
 how much waste is

ABC y
being produced
p a n
Co m  what kinds of waste
Waste are produced
Audit  where waste is

generated
 why waste is being

produced
Of course, your waste audit report will
contain the data you collected on:

- how much waste is produced in each area,

and in the entire facility;

- what materials are being wasted;

- specific areas where wastage is occurring;

- why waste is being produced

(e.g., production inefficiencies)
 Waste audit report
identifies opportunities to:
 reduce
ABC y  reuse
p a n
Co m  recycle
W a s t e
d it  reduce or eliminate
Au
toxic substances
 save money

 Evaluate overall effectiveness of your

waste management program
 Provides benchmarks for monitoring
Based on the information you collect, your
completed waste audit report will also
identify opportunities to:
- reduce, reuse, or recycle materials;
- reduce or eliminate toxic substances;
- save money and resources.

Your analysis will allow you to assess the

overall effectiveness of your waste
management program.

It will also provide you with benchmarks

against which you can monitor and measure
any improvements you make in your facility
over time.
ABC y
p a n
Co m
W a s te
Au d it
The final waste audit report can take many
different forms, depending upon the
objectives of the audit and the degree of
detail desired.
 Format for a Waste Audit Report
1.0 Introduction -
1.1 Facility background
1.2 Known waste generation data
1.3 Waste audit objectives
2.0 Current Waste Management Systems
3.0 Waste Audit Methodology used
4.0 Results: data on waste generation
5.0 Analysis of Waste Audit Data
6.0 Discussion
7.0 Recommendations / Waste Reduction Workplan
8.0 Conclusions
A general format for waste audit reports is
as follows:

1.0 Introduction -
1.1 Facility background
1.2 Known waste generation data
1.3 Waste audit objectives
2.0 Current waste management systems
3.0 Waste audit methodology used
4.0 Results: Data on waste generation
5.0 Analysis of waste audit data
6.0 Discussion
7.0 Recommendations/ Waste Reduction Workplan
8.0 Conclusions
ISO
1 4 0 0 0
A u d it
rit e ria
C
Certain objectives, such as ISO 14000
certification, might require specific
waste audit reporting formats or approaches.
You should familiarize yourself with these
before you even begin to conduct the audit.

(ISO 14,000 reporting specifics????)

 Step 7:
Implementing your
findings
The most important part of a waste audit is
to implement your findings. If you identify
opportunities to reduce, reuse, or recycle
waste materials, you can make a significant
step towards sustainability on all levels.

There is no simple rule about how to go from

recommendations to action, because every facility
is different. This is where YOUR ingenuity,
dedication, creativity and hard work will pay off.

But after you have performed a waste audit and

understand the waste generation profile of your
facility, you will be in the best position to make
intelligent choices about improving performance.

( music/montage of images showing reduction, re-use,

recycling activities, people using exchange, etc.)
ABC y
p a n
Co m
Waste
Audit
Ideal Goal:
Eliminate
waste
The ideal goal of any waste audit is to
completely eliminate waste. In practice,
this goal is seldom reached. But you can
certainly go a long way towards reducing
waste and toxins, saving materials, and
saving money.

Even when reduction, reuse, and recycling

opportunities are explored to the fullest
within your facility, there are sometimes
still waste materials left over.

How can you let others who might have a use

for your waste materials know that they are
available?
Waste Audit: From
data to information
Advertising potentially
useful items on a materials
exchange can allow others
to use your waste as a raw
material.
One way is to advertise these materials or
items on a materials exchange. A materials
exchange is a database which lists the type
and quantities of solid wastes and surplus
items which are available to interested
users.
 (CIET materials
exchange logo)

Link to ‘Wastes on the Web’

(Canada / Thailand)
The CIET Materials Exchange is Thailand’s
first online materials exchange, linking
waste generators and potential users
together in cyberspace.

Visit the CIET materials exchange by

clicking on the CIET logo. Learn more
about how the exchange operates by
following the link on this page. You may
return and continue with this presentation
at any time.
Waste Audit Case Study:
Ship Repair Company
 Company had a detailed waste
audit done by students from
Niagara College in Canada.
Results of audit identified many
items that could be advertised in
a materials exchange program.
Let’s have a look at one simple case study
of how a waste audit can pay for itself and
even generate profits.

A ship repair company in Canada had a

detailed waste audit done by a group of
students from the Evnrionmental Management
Program at Niagara College, as a training
exercise. The results of this audit
identified many items which could be
advertised in a materials exchange program.
 Waste Audit Case Study:
Ship Repair Company
 Ship repair company would
remove Teflon lining from the
interior of ships and replace it .
 Old Teflon sheets were then
disposed of in local landfills, at a
cost to the company.
One such material was large Teflon sheets
which were used to line the holds of cargo
ships, to allow bulk commodities to move
easily within the ship during loading and
unloading.

During routine maintenance, the ship repair

company would remove the used sheets and
replace them. The old sheets were disposed
of as solid waste at a local landfill, at a
cost to the company.
 Waste Audit Case Study:
Ship Repair Company
 Teflon sheets constituted
approximately 61.3% of the
company’s total waste generation,
accounting for 228 tonnes of waste
annually.
 Upon completion of waste audit,
information regarding Teflon sheets
was posted on a Waste Exchange.
Teflon sheets constituted approximately
61.3% of the company’s total waste
generation, accounting for 228 tonnes of
waste annually.

Upon completion of waste audit, information

regarding Teflon sheets was posted on a
Materials Exchange.
Waste Audit Case Study:
Ship Repair Company
 Severalother companies
accessing the waste exchange
were interested in using Teflon
sheets as a raw material.
Several other companies accessing the waste
exchange were interested in using Teflon
sheets as a raw material.
 Waste Audit Case Study:
Ship Repair Company
 As a result, the company identified
an opportunity to reduce the amount
of solid waste they sent to landfill,
and saved almost CDN $12,000
(216,000 baht) per year
 This opportunity was identified as a
direct result of the waste audit that
was completed on the facility!
As a result, the company identified an
opportunity to reduce the amount of solid
waste they sent to landfill, and saved
almost CDN $12,000 (216,000 baht) per year.

This oppotunity came as a direct result of

the waste audit which was performed on the
facility!
 Some other examples
from Canada:
 Quaker Oats (Peterborough) saved over $ 1
million since launching a waste reduction
program in 1986. Annual savings of $600,000
through better material buying policies

 Upper Canada Brewing (Toronto) reduced

waste production by 99%through new
composting , purchasing, and recycling
programs
Many other examples can be found.

Quaker Oats (Peterborough) saved over

$ 1 million after launching a waste reduction
program in 1986. Annual savings of $600,000
have been realized through better material
buying policies.

Upper Canada Brewing (Toronto) reduced waste

production by 99% through new composting,
purchasing, and recycling programs.
 Proctor & Gamble (Hamilton) sold
4,400 tonnes of chemicals and product
that were recovered from the waste
stream through a 3 Rs program in 1990

 William Neilson Ltd. (Toronto) saved

$200,000 per year through production
line adjustments and specialized
recycling programs resulting from a
waste audit
Proctor & Gamble (Hamilton) sold 4,400
tonnes of chemicals and product that were
recovered from the waste stream through a
3 Rs program in 1990.

William Neilson Ltd. (Toronto) saved $200,000

per year through production line adjustments
and specialized recycling programs resulting
from a waste audit.
 Waste audits and waste
reduction plans pay off!
 Reduced waste hauling fees
 Efficient material use
 Revenue from sales of recyclables
 Development of new expertise and
technologies
 Support for environmental industries
Clearly, waste audits and waste reduction
programs pay off! Money and materials are
saved as a result of:

 Reduced waste hauling fees

 More efficient materials use
 Revenue from sales of recyclables
 Development of new expertise and
materials-efficient technologies

Waste auditing also provides much-needed

support for environmental industries,
helping to maintain a vital presence for
change.
(CIET logo)
We hope that by following the instructions
provided in this learning module, you will
be able to perform a waste audit in your
own office, business, or industry. You
will improve materials use, benefit the
environment, and increase your bottom line.

Remember that assistance is available

through the Centre for industrial and
Environmental Training, Burapha University.

Good luck with your waste audit!