Waste Assessments

It is important to know what wastes and what quantities of those wastes your business generates. A waste assessment will help you

identify what wastes your business produces
establish a baseline for measuring progress and evaluating your pollution prevention program
decide which wastes to target for pollution prevention first. You will know what wastes are produced in the greatest volume and those that have the greatest toxicity

Waste assessments should look at all aspects of business operations including purchasing, shipping/receiving, storage and inventory, customer service, office operations and record keeping, production, janitorial and maintenance, cafeteria and environmental management. A basic waste assessment involves a walk through your work place while it is operating and making notes about your observations. Consider all waste types including solid waste, liquid waste, air emissions, hazardous waste, and energy waste. While you are walking through your work place:

Look around for visual indicators of waste. Check trash bins and dumpsters, closets and storage areas.
Watch the various processes in your work place to see where wastes are being generated.
Be alert for odors and signs of leakage.
Ask employees where they have observed wastes and how they think discards, spills, leaks, or other problems can be avoided. Provide awards or incentives for usable suggestions.

There are several resources that can be used to guide you through this process.