On average, how many pounds of waste does a person throw out each year? In the United States, the number works out to about 4.5 pounds of waste per day for each person. (Yes, per day.) Of that nearly 268 million tons of trash, only about 94 million tons is recycled or composted. Considering how many hours a week people spend on the job, FMs see the bulk of that waste go through their facilities.

An inefficient waste solution leads to messy, and potentially unsafe, waste buildup inside and outside a facility. Whether it is a retail center, restaurant or warehouse, FMs are responsible for safely and responsibly disposing of all building waste. Knowing how to choose the right solutions can improve safety and cut down on wasted resources (pun intended!). Here are the major actions an FM can take to manage waste streams, identify weaknesses in a current waste disposal system, optimize efficiency to reduce waste and save money for the facility.

1. Know your output

Conduct a waste audit periodically to find out how much waste (and what kind of waste) the facility produces. This goes a long way toward identifying places to reduce and manage waste more responsibly. A waste audit can be an involved, time-consuming process. Hire a waste expert to help or assign the audit to a person or committee within the organization. Clearly outline the expectations for the audit to ensure good results.

To set expectations, make sure the team understands commercial waste audits are conducted in three parts:

  • Facility walkthroughs

  • Record examinations

  • Waste evaluation

Decide who will be responsible for observing and reporting on each phase of the audit. The size and complexity of the facility and organization will play a role in auditing process. Small and simple organizations may be able to conduct a waste audit using only one or two of the methods above.

Facility walkthroughs

Observe where waste is collected and where garbage or recycling may be piling up due to lack of bins or infrequent collection. Talk to people during the walkthrough and consider conducting a follow-up email survey to find out where occupants think more garbage or recycling bins may be needed. Are trash and recycling bins convenient? Are they serviced enough? Are there areas where trash and recycling bins aren’t used at all? Move them to more populated areas.

Records examination

Going over garbage and recycling collection records will give historical insight into the organization's waste patterns, including the cost of waste and the amount of waste collected. Typically, these records include raw material invoices and receipts, purchasing logs, disposal records, inventory logs, waste disposal contracts and recycling contracts. Looking at records over five or more years shows pricing and waste volume trends that can help inform the facility’s next garbage and recycling contract.

Waste evaluation

The goal of a waste evaluation is to discover how much waste is produced in a typical day, week or month, depending on how long the FM team wants to observe collection practices. Follow the facility’s waste from trash bin to final pickup to find out if the collection process is working efficiently or if it needs to change. Observing the type and volume of waste produced will show whether recycling efforts are effective, and the organization can address ways to improve waste reduction efforts. Observing garbage over a few days or weeks will give the most accurate snapshot of waste production over a specific period of time.

After the audit

After all this work, the FM team will have a full picture of the production of waste at the site. A waste audit answers basic questions, including:

  • How much waste is produced each month?

  • What times of year are heavier or lighter, and why?

  • Where is the waste going?

  • Is there a more cost-effective pick-up schedule?

  • How much is being spent?

  • What measures are already in place to curb waste? What new measures could be put in place to curb more waste?

Waste audit committees may work on an audit for weeks or even months as they formulate the big picture of a facility’s waste production. At the end of the audit, the committee should produce a report to answer these basic questions and make recommendations for streamlining the waste process. Make recommendations specific to each facility for reducing waste and making service schedules more efficient.

2. Choose the right equipment

Waste collection usually starts with proper equipment, including choosing the right type of dumpsters and deciding whether the facility needs specialized equipment like balers, compactors or containers built specifically for hazardous waste or restaurant kitchen use.

Two of the most common machines related to commercial waste, balers and trash compactors, can help facilities reduce the volume of waste being thrown away. Balers compact recyclable materials while compactors compress materials to be recycled and trash intended for the landfill. Both machines can help companies reduce their waste costs by enabling the facility to fit more waste into a dumpster or recycling receptacle, which means fewer waste pickups.

In addition to balers and compactors, there are other types of equipment that may be necessary to manage waste. For example, forklifts can help safely transport large bins of waste across facilities and into dumpsters. Depending on the type of facility, specialized waste-tracking software can make it easier to keep track of garbage through the entire cycle to ensure waste is disposed in the right way. Safety equipment could also be needed, including personal protective equipment to protect workers from exposure to chemicals, airborne toxins or other hazards.

Having the right equipment is vital for keeping a facility safe. When analyzing safety and the waste stream, it will take the knowledge and efforts of safety coordinators, IT professionals and facility maintenance staff working together. These are the team members working with waste disposal and recycling every day, and they will need access to the tools that make their jobs safer and more efficient.

If the organization does not know whether safety or security equipment is needed, the waste audit committee can be tasked with analyzing the requirements and costs associated with safety and security equipment.

Once new equipment is purchased, people at the facility must be properly trained. Some manufacturers will send a trainer or will provide online trainings. Implement processes at the company to ensure that everyone who will be using any specialized equipment is properly trained to use it safely and effectively.

3. Review the logistics

Does it matter where waste is stored before pickup, and how that waste is maintained once it’ is outside the facility? Absolutely. If waste is brought to one centralized location, rather than collected at multiple sites, this could affect the cost of collection and the safety of the workplace if the garbage is not properly stored and secured between pickups.

The size of the building, type of waste produced and other factors will all play a role in where the waste goes before it is collected by your waste vendor. There are three things to consider when deciding where to put the trash:

Aesthetics

Waste can impact the beauty of the property, which can be a problem if the business is regularly visited by clients or customers who make purchases. Having an overflow of garbage on the sidewalk in front of the building, or in the alley behind the business, creates a negative customer experience. This can turn people away and cost the business money. Even for industrial or warehouse facilities, having garbage everywhere can invite pest infestation and potentially illegal dumping overnight.

Safety

Trash can be dangerous. Protect workers and visitors by keeping trash out of walkways, roadways and away from communal areas. Some businesses lock up their trash; others simply put it out of the way where it cannot be a problem for visitors. This is especially true if there are recycling bins overflowing with glass that could break and cause a hazard.

Functionality

Keep trash out of roadways and walkways. Waste can easily create logistical problems if it is left to pile up or if bins are not placed where they ’are most needed. When deciding where to place trash and recycle bins, use knowledge from the audit to understand where people naturally collect waste in the course of the day. Do they eat in common areas? Are there outdoor areas that need bins? Does recycling pile up in the office kitchen by the end of the day? What about recycling bins next to printers? Or cardboard and packing materials in a warehouse? These will streamline the waste disposal process.

4. Maintain the system

Once the audit has been conducted, new trash disposal systems have been devised, proper equipment has been purchased and everyone has been trained to use the equipment properly, the organization should start operating like a well-oiled garbage machine. With efficiency comes budget savings, a cleaner environment, and perhaps even a more efficient and less expensive waste solution. However, the systems must be maintained, or they will break down.

Appoint someone to regularly monitor waste disposal and recycling in all capacities discussed so far. This person should conduct a periodic review of waste disposal systems and monitor waste costs to watch for sharp increases, drop-offs or trends. As a team, collect and study data from the audit that can help determine where the most money is being spent on waste.

Periodic waste disposal re-evaluations will ensure the team is taking all possible measures to manage waste at the facility. Establish expectations for staff around waste disposal, so all staff members will know what they are supposed to do to control waste costs and ensure waste is managed efficiently.

5. Partner with a specialist

Waste costs money. Companies that do not monitor waste production and disposal can find themselves spending hundreds or thousands of extra dollars each month on waste disposal. Conducting a waste audit, forming a waste committee, assigning waste maintenance to one or two people on the team, and using proper waste equipment are the most effective ways to control waste costs.

As part of this whole process, evaluate the current waste and recycling contract. Determine whether the service frequency or the type of equipment can be changed to better suit the facility’s waste production and negotiate a new contract. Feel stuck in a long-term contract? Work with the waste vendor to identify ways to reduce costs and work these solutions into the existing contract.

It takes some work to streamline commercial waste, but the result is an efficient and safe system. If it has been a few years since the waste stream has been streamlined, it might be time to put a waste team on the scene.