Waste Management Checklists & PDF Reports

|||Lista de control de la gestión de residuos sólidos

A solid waste management checklist is used by facilities teams to inspect waste management, sorting, and disposal. It helps determine if waste management protocols are properly enforced and followed by the organization. It is designed to perform the following:

  1. Check if waste containers are in good condition and appropriate for use;
  2. Capture and annotate photos of non-compliant items and attach detailed comments;
  3. Assign corrective actions for immediate rectification;
  4. Provide overall recommendations; and
  5. Sign-off with a digital signature to validate the inspection.
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solid waste management checklist

Published 25 Apr 2024 Article by Jona Tarlengco | 5 min read

What is Waste Management?

Waste management is the systematic approach to collecting, transporting, treating, and disposing of solid and liquid waste. It is utilized across several industries, and is required by law in order to protect public health and safety, promote environmental hygiene, and aid economic development.

What is Solid Waste Management?

Solid waste management is the systematic handling of solid waste materials. It aims to eliminate the potential hazards associated with solid waste, including environmental pollution, pathogenic diseases, and toxic chemical reactions. Proper implementation of solid waste management can:

What is a Solid Waste Management Checklist?

A solid waste management checklist is a tool used by facility teams to ensure adherence to waste management regulatory standards. It helps in evaluating if the processes of waste segregation and disposal are properly implemented and followed by the organization. A solid waste management checklist helps prevent environmental issues and regulatory penalties.

Types of Solid Waste

Solid wastes refer to anything that is abandoned and discarded but is not limited to physically solid materials. They can also include liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material. Depending on the source of solid waste, it can be classified into different types:

Municipal solid wastes

Municipal solid wastes are generated from residential and commercial complexes. It often includes food wastes, plastics, demolition and construction debris (that can be present during post-construction cleaning), metals, and small quantities of hazardous waste such as electric light bulbs, batteries, and automotive parts. Unmonitored and unsegregated Municipal solid waste can cause severe environmental pollution if left unmonitored and unsegregated.

Infectious wastes

Hospitals and healthcare facilities are the most prevalent source of infectious wastes due to the nature of their work. Infectious wastes usually include used sharps, expired pharmaceuticals, and radioactive items. Unmanaged infectious waste disposal can cause negative ramifications like serious health risks and disease transmission.

Hazardous wastes

Hazardous wastes are classified based on their physical or chemical properties, which may contain any of the following characteristics: a) reactivity, b) ignitability, c) toxicity and d) corrosivity. Commonly, hazardous waste includes pesticides, gun powder, gasoline, alcohol, paint, and poisonous acids. Inappropriate disposal can cause an acute or immediate effect on public health and safety.

Industrial wastes

Industrial wastes are toxic materials produced by manufacturing industries. These wastes are generated during the processing of metal, paper, pesticide, plastic, rubber, and more. Neglected residues can cause air pollution and direct exposure to chemicals can be fatal.

Basic Solid Waste Disposal Methods

Controlling and implementing proper disposal protocols for solid wastes can eliminate unsanitary conditions, pollution, and other environmental issues. Businesses can apply any of the following methods to properly dispose of solid wastes:

Mismanaged wastes and improper disposal can contribute additional threats to the environment. In the long-term, these solid wastes can leak and pollute groundwater and other neighboring environmental habitats and give off potentially unsafe gases, making waste management very difficult. To prevent this from occurring, businesses should establish proper waste management practices and conduct regular inspections to catch issues at an early stage.

How to Build a Solid Waste Management Program

A solid waste management system helps ensure solid wastes are properly handled, managed, and disposed of to protect the environment and secure public health. It is used in minimizing the amount of solid waste produced and improves the efficiency of managing solid waste. The following procedure will help in building a good foundation for a solid waste management program.

Streamline Solid Waste Management With a Mobile-ready App

Performing solid waste management forms for inspections can help industries prevent environmental negligence. Gathered information from your audits provides valuable insights that will help you identify overall solid waste management improvement needs. Using SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor), a mobile-ready inspection app, you can avoid the hassle of using traditional pen and paper systems, re-entering the findings on a computer, and manually handing over reports. With SafetyCulture, you can:

Featured Solid Waste Management Checklists

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Solid Waste Management Plan Checklist

A solid waste management plan checklist is a tool used by officers in charge to guide the planning and implementation of waste management improvements. It is used to evaluate if implemented measures are controlled to prevent harm to humans or the environment.

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Waste Audit Checklist

A waste audit checklist helps to ensure the effectiveness of the waste audit process for the organization. It is used to determine the readiness of the team, preparedness of equipment, and proper execution of waste sorting.

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Solid Waste Inspection Checklist

This solid waste inspection checklist is created by MCLB Barstow Environmental to ensure solid waste containers are in good condition and placed in areas that do not pose a fire, health, or safety hazards.

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ISO 14001:2015 Audit Checklist

This ISO 14001:2015 audit checklist is used to thoroughly assess the Environmental Management System (EMS) if it meets ISO standards. It helps to track your organization’s environmental performance and activities.

Jona Tarlengco

Article by SafetyCulture Content Specialist

Jona Tarlengco is a content writer and researcher for SafetyCulture since 2018. She usually writes about safety and quality topics, contributing to the creation of well-researched articles. Her years of experience in one of the world’s leading business news organisations helps enrich the quality of the information in her work.

Explore more templates

Solid Waste Management Plan Checklist

A solid waste management plan checklist is a tool used by officers in charge to guide the planning and implementation of waste management improvements. It is used to evaluate if implemented measures are controlled to prevent harm to humans or the environment.

Waste Audit Checklist

A waste audit checklist helps to ensure the effectiveness of the waste audit process for the organization. It is used to determine the readiness of the team, preparedness of equipment, and proper execution of waste sorting.

Solid Waste Inspection Checklist

This solid waste inspection checklist is created by MCLB Barstow Environmental to ensure solid waste containers are in good condition and placed in areas that do not pose a fire, health, or safety hazards.

ISO 14001:2015 Audit Checklist

This ISO 14001:2015 audit checklist is used to thoroughly assess the Environmental Management System (EMS) if it meets ISO standards. It helps to track your organization’s environmental performance and activities.