How to do a waste survey - methodology

Select a discrete area such as a building with a number of academic, clerical, administration and lecturing activities. What is best for your institution will depend on the way your institution is organised.
Choose a time when the students are present. This is normally the time of greatest waste production and students may be able to provide some assistance in checking waste.
Select a sample area that is likely to provide a mixture of waste that is typical for that building.
Collect and count all bags of waste from the sample area, bring to a central sorting area, empty onto plastic sheeting / concrete floor.
Separate waste into categories, such as paper (all grades or quality white and other), plastic, glass, cans etc.
Quantify the different categories - weigh and estimate volume, if possible. Click here for conversion factors from volume to weight.
Repeat the exercise a couple of weeks later, ideally, to get the average production of types and quantities of waste per building.

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