A Guide on Waste Management System
                     A GUIDE ON WASTE 
MANAGEMENT 
SYSTEM
What is a Waste 
Management 
System?
A waste management system is the strategy an organization 
uses to dispose, reduce, reuse, and prevent waste. Possible 
waste disposal methods are recycling, composting, 
incineration, landfills, bioremediation, waste to energy, and 
waste minimization.
2
Source: safetyculture.com
Waste Disposal 
Methods
There are multiple waste management strategies and 
methods available. These strategies can be combined or 
rearranged to form a waste management system that fits an 
organization. 
Modern waste management strategies are geared towards 
sustainability. Other alternatives for waste management is to 
reduce, reuse and recycle waste.
3
Source: safetyculture.com
Waste Disposal 
Methods Cont.
Also known as physical reprocessing, recycling is ideal for the 
disposal of inorganic waste such as plastic, glass, and metals.
Though organic waste such as paper and food can also be 
recycled, composting would be a better waste disposal 
method as it converts organic waste into nutrient-rich 
fertilizer.
4
Source: safetyculture.com
Approaches
• First approach –  involves looking at waste hauling and 
disposal records as well as contracts with recycling 
facilities.
• Second approach – requires a team of internal auditors to 
identify waste-generating activities through observation 
and interviews with employees.
• Third approach – is the physical collection, sorting, and 
weighing of a sample of the organization’s waste. This 
sample can be a day’s worth of waste or a collection of 
waste from each department.
5
Source: safetyculture.com
Best practices
• Best practices for conducting a waste audit are to refrain 
from releasing the audit date to the entire organization, 
prepare personal protective equipment and a venue for 
sorting beforehand, and commit to acting on the waste 
audit result. 
• This can be achieved by creating corrective action plans 
for each possible result. 
6
Source: safetyculture.com
How to Create a 
Waste 
Management Plan
• Determine the needed resources (containers, vehicles, 
etc.)
• Assign a point person and clarify their responsibilities
• Prepare a timeline for implementation
7
Source: safetyculture.com
Food Waste 
Management 
System
• A food waste audit analyzes the components of a 
restaurant’s waste. It helps restaurants identify the 
inefficiencies in their processes and provides them with the 
data they need to effectively address their food waste. 
8
Source: safetyculture.com
Hospital Waste 
Management 
System
• human or animal tissue, blood or other body fluids, 
excretions
• drugs or other pharmaceutical products, swabs or 
dressings, syringes, needles or other sharp instruments
• any other waste arising from medical, nursing, dental, 
veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practice
9
Source: safetyculture.com
Hazardous Waste 
Management 
System
• Hazardous waste management was a key factor in the 
formation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 
(RCRA). 
• Hazardous waste is defined by the EPA as waste that is 
potentially harmful to human health or the environment. 
10
Source: safetyculture.com
Why Is It 
Important?
Across the globe our trash is piling up all around us, and 
despite nascent sustainability movements calling for greater 
responsibility at all levels of society, the amount of waste we 
generate as a species is increasing year on year. 
11
Source: safetyculture.com