Waste Audit Services
An independent audit of what you actually throw away, how it is classified under the European Waste Catalogue, what it costs you and what proportion is genuinely being recovered rather than landfilled or incinerated under the guise of recovery.
Waste Stream Composition Audit
Physical bin and skip analysis to identify contamination, mis-sorted recyclables and avoidable waste generation.
EWC & Hazard Classification
Correct six-digit European Waste Catalogue codes applied, including mirror-entry hazardous assessment under WM3 guidance.
Cost Benchmarking
Line-by-line comparison of gate fees, transport and landfill tax against current market rates for your waste types.
Recovery Rate Reporting
Verified recovery, recycling and disposal percentages traced back to end destination, not just contractor claims.
Segregation & Contract Recommendations
Practical changes to bin provision, signage and collection frequency to lift recycling rates and cut costs.
Audit Report Pack
A written report suitable for ESG disclosure, procurement files or board-level sustainability reporting.
How the works run
- 1Data & documentation reviewWe collect existing waste transfer notes, invoices and contracts to establish your current baseline.
- 2On-site auditA physical audit of skips, bins and compactors over an agreed period, photographed and logged by waste type.
- 3Classification checkEach stream is checked against the correct EWC code and hazardous properties assessed under WM3.
- 4Cost and recovery analysisWe trace tonnages and gate fees through to final destination to verify true recovery rates.
- 5Report and recommendationsA written report sets out findings, cost-saving options and a prioritised action plan.
Why an independent audit pays for itself
Waste contracts are often priced on estimated volumes that were never revisited after the first year of a tenancy or operation. An independent audit strips out the assumptions and measures actual tonnages, contamination rates and gate fees against current market pricing. Most commercial sites we audit are paying for a container size or collection frequency that no longer matches what they generate, and many discover that streams described as 'recycled' by their current contractor are in fact being sent to energy-from-waste or landfill after sorting losses.
EWC classification and why it matters
Every waste stream leaving a site must be assigned the correct six-digit European Waste Catalogue code on the transfer or consignment note, and hazardous properties must be assessed using the WM3 technical guidance jointly published by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and SEPA. Misclassification is a common source of Duty of Care breaches under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and it can also mean you are paying hazardous disposal rates for waste that could legally be classified and priced as non-hazardous, or vice versa, exposing you to enforcement risk.
Compliance & accreditation
For how we identify species, price surveys and stand behind our work, see our approach FAQ.
Book an independent waste audit
Send us your site details and current waste contract and we will scope a fixed-price audit.