WASTE AUDITS and DISCARD STUDIES

Waste Audits and Discard Studies:

Getting to know what is wasted and where it goes

Audits and studies provide information on the makeup of your local discard stream, and provide data to clarify or confirm the information collected during the existing conditions review you performed. Whether you are conducting a full scientific sampling at a full-service transfer station, looking at a targeted portion of discarded materials to identify additional recovery potential, or working as a private business to reduce waste and cut costs, some form of waste audit or discard study is an essential part of understanding and redirecting previously wasted materials.

Zero Waste

planning

policies

programs

resources

CRRA
Home Page

Task One: Locate and review existing studies.

All jurisdictions were required to conduct waste generation studies in about 1990 in order to create a baseline to measure their progress in meeting the mandated 50% waste reduction requirement adopted by the State of California through AB939, the Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989. Some jurisdictions conducted detailed scientific studies at local facilities, others used information from communities with similar demographic makeups. A copy of your community's waste generation study should be included in the SRRE you found in your existing conditions review.

Task Two: Determine the need for updated or additional studies.

Talk with staff at the Office of Local Assistance (OLA), California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), about the quality of your existing information. Review recent studies from comparable jurisdictions to see how program implementation has affected the composition of disposed waste. Identify specific materials being recovered in your community at the present time, that were being landfilled in 1990.

Things to look for in evaluating your waste generation study:
Was your original study thorough and accurate? Did it include self-haul disposal, and detailed information about source reduction and recycling practices in your area?
Have your planned programs been implemented as proposed? Has the disposed tonnage decreased as projected in the original study?
If you have any unusual or unique types of waste, can you account for how they are being handled?

Task Three: Conduct a new waste generation study.

If you can answer YES to all the questions above, you may want to consider a targeted study or survey of specific waste generators as a cost-effective way to locate materials that can be recovered. However, if you answered NO to one or more of the questions, or if your community has changed significantly in the past decade, you may wish to consider a more detailed waste generation study to determine both the composition of your disposed waste and the full extent of recovery activities taking place in your community. Contact your local recycling coordinator and/or the staff at the CIWMB for more information on how to plan and conduct waste generation studies and audits.

Resources:

There are a variety of methods that can be used effectively to audit your waste stream. Both the California Integrated Waste Management Board and the U.S. EPA are good sources for information on methods to identify materials that could be reduced, eliminated, recycled and composted. Obtain copies of the CIWMB's Diversion Study Guide and U.S. EPA's "Measuring Recycling: A Guide for State and Local Governments" to become familiar with the waste audit process.

For more information about discard studies, service voids, and waste stream assessments, go to the website for the
California Integrated Waste Management Board.

zero waste toolkit | links to other websites | CRRA home page