As landfill capacity continues to decrease through the years, having a good understanding of your company’s waste habits is especially important. A great way to do so is through a waste audit. A waste audit involves measuring the quantity, volume, and type of waste that an organization produces within a set amount of time. Ultimately, a waste audit’s objective is to improve a company’s waste management strategies. To better understand the importance of doing a waste audit in your business, consider these benefits.
Improved efficiency
By thoroughly analyzing your current waste management behavior, you can address potential inefficiencies with your process. Throughout your audit, you may be alerted to overly time-consuming procedures or wasteful methods where recyclables are improperly disposed. Upon recognizing such issues, you can correct them in the future to maximize your company’s operational efficiency.
Potential revenue opportunities
Waste audits alert companies to how much waste and recyclable material they generate. In doing so, they may also help identify additional revenue opportunities. For example, many recycling firms pay a premium for recyclables that are pre-separated and compacted into bales. If your company produces recyclables in large quantities, it could be a great opportunity to invest in baler equipment and sell bales as an extra revenue source.
Greener environment
Waste audits are especially important from an environmental standpoint. Conducting a waste audit allows companies to address their potentially wasteful habits and improve them. For example, upon completing a waste audit, a business may find that they are throwing away many recyclables. Based on this knowledge, they have the opportunity to rectify this behavior in the future. By addressing and resolving issues that are identified in the audit, businesses can improve their recycling habits, which—in turn—reduces pollution, conserves natural resources, and diverts materials from landfills.