Conducting a waste audit is an effective way to understand and improve waste management practices, whether for businesses, schools, or community organisations. Here’s a simple guide to help you carry out a successful waste audit.

Step 1: Define Objectives

Start by determining the goals of the waste audit. Are you aiming to reduce waste, improve recycling or reuse rates, or comply with regulations? Clearly defined objectives will guide the entire process.

Step 2: Assemble a Team

Form a team, which could include workers, staff, students, or community members, depending on where the audit is taking place Assign roles and responsibilities to ensure effective collaboration. (Sample collection, defining material categories, choosing waste stream and locations to audit)

Step 3: Collect the Samples

Decide which locations and waste stream or streams you are going to audit, plan to have the bins with trash available, then organise the samples into bags or buckets, depending on what is suitable for you. Weighing the samples before the audits is helpful, as you will get a baseline measurement, allowing you to quantify the amount of waste generated. Choosing a time without special events or occasions will also ensure it is a typical output of waste.

Step 4: Set up the Equipment

• Tarps
• Scales
• Gloves
• Tongs
• Protective Boots
• Goggles
• PPE Gowns
• Labels & Buckets for Material Categories to be sorted in to
• Kerbstream software and tablet/phone
  
  

Step 5: Sort the Waste

Lay out the tarp, spread out the waste for the stream or streams you are auditing, then sort each material category into its defined bucket using gloves and tongs to seperate material categories, weigh it off, and record each weigh off into the Kerbstream software. You can also measure the volumes if you know the volume of the buckets you are using for each material category.

Step 6: Analyse Results & Generate Recommendations

Examine the collected data using the Kerbstream software to identify trends, sources of waste, and areas for improvement. Look for patterns, such as high levels of recyclable materials in landfill waste. You can also use the software to generate recommendations with actionable strategies to reduce items going to landfill, using various methods of recycling and reuse. This could include increasing recycling efforts, implementing composting programs, or promoting waste reduction initiatives through taking things like bottles and cans to the bottle deposit depots, or ensuring  toner and printer cartridges are recycled.

Step 7: Implement Changes

Put the recommendations into place for initiation, communicate the changes to everyone, and encourage their participation in new waste management practices.

Step 8: Monitor Progress

Regularly review the outcomes of the implemented strategies using the Kerbstream software comparison and recommendation components, as well as conduct additional waste audits, which can measure changes in waste generation, recycling and reuse rates, to evaluate effectiveness of the strategies being implemented.

Step 9: Report Findings

The Kerbstream software makes it easy to generate tables of data, as well as rich donut, pie and bar charts, enabling you to easily share the results of the audit with the broader community. Highlight the successes, challenges, and next steps to foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Conclusion

Conducting a waste audit is a straightforward yet impactful process that helps organisations identify opportunities for waste reduction through common sense approaches. By following these steps, you can make significant strides toward sustainability and foster a more environmentally responsible culture within your organisation.