Resource Efficiency in Organisations

On-Site Waste Assessment

Once you have gathered some background information on waste costs and the type of wastes produced by different sectors it is time to do an on-site waste assessment. There are 2 main methods – a quick basic assessment or a more detailed analysis.

Both try to determine the main waste producing areas within your business – the first by visual inspection, the second by accurate weighing. Whichever on-site assessment you decide to do you should ensure that you have:

• Clear plastic bags in use around the site
• Stick on labels for the bags
• A scales for weighing

For more information click on the following:

Quick Waste Assessment – this is mostly a qualitative assessment which allows a structured approach to a visual guesstimate of the main components of the waste stream. This in turn facilitates identification of priority action streams/areas. This method avoids the necessity of opening bags and reduces workload but must necessarily lead to certain inaccuracies.

Detailed Waste Assessment – this is the EPA standard Waste Characterisation Methodology. It is more robust than the other methods, and leads to a relatively high degree of certainty. Be aware that it is considerably more resource intensive.