Why do a waste audit?
A waste audit is a report that details the type and quantity of waste generated at a particular site over a specified time. For example, an office might do an audit of lunchroom waste over a five-day period, or paper waste produced on each floor of a building.
An audit a great way to learn about the waste habits, needs and specifics of your workplace. It is a good first step that will give you a snapshot of waste generation and provide a baseline against subsequent progress can be measured. It is also a critical piece of research that will help in developing a waste reduction plan.
An audit will tell you where waste is being produced and how much is being produced. Information about the type of waste will help in identifying strategies for re-using, recycling, composting or otherwise diverting materials from the business waste stream.
Tools for Business Waste Reduction
For helpful resources for reducing waste in businesses, check out Waste Reduction Week Canada.
The Regional District of the North Okanagan has an excellent set of free on-line tools for structuring a business waste audit.
