98
A. Aich and S. K. Ghosh
7 Discussion
The main aspects of a management system are the four-element “Plan–Do–Check–
Act” approach. This waste management auditing approach is intended to provide
a practical and step-by-step guidance for system of checking and controlling of
an Integrated Sustainable SWM (ISSWM) system. It would also provide the urban
managers and decision-makers a set of tools for managing the waste problem in their
cities.
The waste auditing framework developed in this study would determine the composition and quantities of waste being generated and its ultimate disposal status. It
would measure the effectiveness of waste management systems also would identify the opportunities for improving waste management systems and strategies. It
would collect baseline data for measuring the effectiveness of waste minimization
strategies. This type of waste auditing can save money. Recycling of waste can save
money through avoided disposal and hauling costs. Many recyclable items can be
identified through waste auditing which can be sold in the market to earn revenue.
This waste audit will help to identify these potential savings and revenue opportunities. Information from audits will help to develop data base and will help to identify
the current waste practices and how they can be improved. The checklists/tables
developed above followed the audit criteria recommended in the ‘Agenda 21 document’ of the World Commission on Sustainable Development of the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio in June 1992 and United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) guidelines.
8 Conclusion
Audit of a waste management system is a way to reduce problems caused by waste
by revealing the shortcomings of the management system, the responsible actors and
identifying the actors and the areas that need improvement.
Various methods have been used for MSWM auditing, namely report collection
and interviews for the audit of the management system; site survey was used for
the audit of compliance with national law and regulation, health and safety, and
pollution prevention system. But the audit form or checklists/tables developed in this
study will be based on specific data from site and are sufficiently spread and welldefined to generate and dissipate data from operation, monitoring, and controlling of
municipal waste management system. They are also sufficiently detailed to identify
any area of the system that would potentially violate the compliance criterion and
or have not achieved the desired result of the objectives of the system. But these
checklists/tables describe “what” to audit only; “how” to conduct a SWM auditing
that has to be determined, as case specific, based on the administrative set-up and
procedures. There remains three groups of people in an auditing system: the auditor
(person or group doing the audit), auditee (things on whom the audit is to be done;
A. Aich and S. K. Ghosh
7 Discussion
The main aspects of a management system are the four-element “Plan–Do–Check–
Act” approach. This waste management auditing approach is intended to provide
a practical and step-by-step guidance for system of checking and controlling of
an Integrated Sustainable SWM (ISSWM) system. It would also provide the urban
managers and decision-makers a set of tools for managing the waste problem in their
cities.
The waste auditing framework developed in this study would determine the composition and quantities of waste being generated and its ultimate disposal status. It
would measure the effectiveness of waste management systems also would identify the opportunities for improving waste management systems and strategies. It
would collect baseline data for measuring the effectiveness of waste minimization
strategies. This type of waste auditing can save money. Recycling of waste can save
money through avoided disposal and hauling costs. Many recyclable items can be
identified through waste auditing which can be sold in the market to earn revenue.
This waste audit will help to identify these potential savings and revenue opportunities. Information from audits will help to develop data base and will help to identify
the current waste practices and how they can be improved. The checklists/tables
developed above followed the audit criteria recommended in the ‘Agenda 21 document’ of the World Commission on Sustainable Development of the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio in June 1992 and United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) guidelines.
8 Conclusion
Audit of a waste management system is a way to reduce problems caused by waste
by revealing the shortcomings of the management system, the responsible actors and
identifying the actors and the areas that need improvement.
Various methods have been used for MSWM auditing, namely report collection
and interviews for the audit of the management system; site survey was used for
the audit of compliance with national law and regulation, health and safety, and
pollution prevention system. But the audit form or checklists/tables developed in this
study will be based on specific data from site and are sufficiently spread and welldefined to generate and dissipate data from operation, monitoring, and controlling of
municipal waste management system. They are also sufficiently detailed to identify
any area of the system that would potentially violate the compliance criterion and
or have not achieved the desired result of the objectives of the system. But these
checklists/tables describe “what” to audit only; “how” to conduct a SWM auditing
that has to be determined, as case specific, based on the administrative set-up and
procedures. There remains three groups of people in an auditing system: the auditor
(person or group doing the audit), auditee (things on whom the audit is to be done;