Waste streams identification is required to provide “… information about the
quantity and type of [waste] being generated and how much of that material [municipal]
program managers can expect to prevent or capture.” Such information is said to be the
“cornerstone of successful planning for a waste management program” [13].
3.3 Collection of Data by Auditing
After identification of waste streams, collecting waste disposal and recycling data
from a facility may seem like a daunting task, but this information is necessary to
estimate the emissions from the facility’s waste. To simplify data collection, a system is
needed to collect and record data for all waste streams, including solid waste, recycled
waste and any other waste. This can be done in different ways from several sources as
listed below.
Invoices and receipts
Tipping slips
Other records or forms
Assessing waste in each container
Invoices and receipts typically contain little or no information on waste composition. It
provides the overall volume of waste depending on the dumpster size. Managers at a
facility are typically more concerned about the waste hauling expenses than on what is
being dumped into the waste container. Tipping slips do provide information on how
much waste or garbage is being dumped into the landfill but from the emissions point,
these slips cannot provide enough data required, as there is no way to estimate the
composition of waste from the total waste. Using records or forms might provide partial
data, which might be helpful but for our purpose, this cannot be used.