Page 150 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

128 THE GENERAL APPROACH FOR A SOLID WASTE ASSESSMENT

The purpose of reviewing these records is to determine the total amount of waste gen-
erated annually, the total amount of material recycled annually, and the total waste
removal and recycling cost structure. A review of purchasing records can also be bene-
ficial to backtrack into an estimate of waste components generated. For example, ship-
ments often arrive in cardboard containers. By researching the number of containers
received per year and estimating the weight per carton, the team could estimate the total
weight of cardboard boxes disposed each year. Often times, the janitorial staff, mainte-
nance, purchasing, and accounting staff will be most useful when gathering these
records. In addition, customer service at the waste hauling and recycling companies may
record more detailed records than the information that appears on monthly invoices.
The team should be aware of several limitations that exist from the existing records,
such as

■ The records may not provide adequate data if the waste hauling company does not
collect this information.
■ The records do not usually provide information about specific waste components
(a trash sort is generally needed for this data).
■ The records can be difficult to use if more than one business shares a dumpster.

Figures 8.4 through 8.13 serve as the data collection worksheets for the existing
record review. Included in these worksheets are the recommended documents to collect.

8.4 Step 3: Process Mapping and

Production Analysis

The goal of this step is to aid the team in fully understanding the business processes
and capabilities of the facility. An understanding of these processes is crucial in devel-
oping alternatives to reduce solid waste. A process flowchart is a hierarchical method
for displaying processes that illustrates how a product or transaction is processed. It is
a visual representation of the work flow either within a process or an image of the
entire operation. Process mapping comprises a stream of activities that transforms a
well-defined input or set of inputs into a predefined set of outputs.
A well-developed process flowchart or map should allow people unfamiliar with the
process to understand the interaction of causes during the work flow and contain addi-
tional information relating to the solid waste minimization project (such as tons of
waste generated per year and annual cost of disposal).
To create a process map, it is important to determine the start and stop points
because you will create the process map between those points. The SIPOC (supplier
input process output and customer) tool can help. The tool name prompts the team to
consider the supplier (the S in SIPOC) of the process, the inputs (the I) to the process,
the process (the P) the team is improving, the outputs (the O) of the process, and the
customers (the C) that receive the process outputs.