Domain: Waste Management & Environmental Services
Question:
You've been asked to put together a waste characterization approach for a large institutional building (classrooms, offices, event space). The building has been pushing floor-level waste separation, but what you're seeing at the loading dock tells a different story. Most streams are getting combined into a few containers before hauling, and trash, recycling, and bulky items are regularly mixed. Write the approach you would use to characterize the building's waste in a way that reflects what is actually being collected and hauled. Your plan should spell out what you would measure and how (including where in the process you would sample), how you would prevent the results from overstating diversion, and what outputs and results you would generate so the data is still usable for planning, budgeting and reporting.

Expected points in a correct answer:
States the needs to stop measuring based off intent and instead measure based on the waste leaving the building (quantifiable data)
Explains that commingled wastes should be treated as one waste definition (trash) instead of separate trash, recycling and bulky items inside the facility as that is how the waste is shipped offsite
States the use of a two-view approach: a conservative as-collected baseline and a planning opportunity estimate
States the conservative as-collected baseline is the official waste profile used for reporting and tracking
Gives shipping information to include on waste labels for waste hauler per DOT shipping requirements including container type, size, number of containers, pickup frequency, and waste stream name they are actually hauled as
States to treat commingled trash as one waste stream regardless of upstream categorization
States the need to use the baseline consistently over time to track real change and avoid overstating diversion
States the second approach for opportunity estimate for internal planning
States that the opportunity estimate is a 'what-if' analysis showing the potential upside if dock consolidation problems are corrected
States to separate floor level waste separation from reporting and more as a diagnostic
States the need to identify the loss point where waste is being mixed so it can be quantified for improvements to the process
States the need for reallocation of volumes assuming dock controls are improved
Lists specific dock control improvements such as separate containers, access control, procedures, training, and signage
States to use this estimate to prioritize investments for dock controls
References or describes using a workbook/spreadsheet tool for calculating and tracking waste totals by stream
States the exact cells in the workbook to select what waste streams are being shipped out in the calculator tab as B9:B23
States the exact cells in the workbook to find total tons per waste stream in the calculator tab G9:G23 and G27:G32 if using the item based selection
States the exact cells in the workbook calculate total generated: SUM of used rows in G9:G23 (+ G27:G32 if used)
States the exact cells in the workbook calculate recycling tons: SUM of the G rows where the selected stream in B is recycling
States the exact cells in the workbook calculate trash tons: SUM of the G rows where the selected stream in B is trash
States to demonstrate defensibility: consistent controls across all operating conditions
Explains the need to standardize process controls as inspectors expect to see this
States that proactive intervention can show role clarity, appropriate training, and consistent controls across all operational conditions
States that the point of measurement/characterization should be the loading dock (point of collection), not the floor level
States that the baseline should be used consistently over time to track real change
States that dock reconfiguration and controls often outrank additional floor signage when commingling is the main failure point
Mentions procedures, training, and/or signage as dock control improvements
States that the opportunity estimate should reallocate volumes conservatively (not optimistically)
References waste pickup/service tracking as supporting documentation for the dock reality
References conversion factors as part of the estimation methodology