When analysing the prevention of waste it is essential to determine the effectiveness of the production process. This provides a clear understanding of the sources of waste generation and unnecessary disposal. An analysis of possible options for recycling and reuse before going to the landfill is important when the goal is to minimise the creation of waste.
Since waste is a consequence of unutilised resources, it is important to identify which part of the production process generates waste, why waste is generated and what volumes of waste is generated at each stage.
For this identification, generally a waste audit is conducted, which looks at:
Implementing an environmental management strategy with the support of environmental performance indicators can help identify points of process optimisation and comparison, such as waste produced per department or production unit. If an environmental management system is implemented, it should also include a manual of suppliers that clearly indicates best practices on:
Suggested operational practices for the reduction of waste generated in the production line: