Waste Audits, Worldwide

RS&H helped one client save $3.5 million by improving its waste management practices and implementing a waste-to-revenue program. With a network of more than 250 commissaries and distribution centers worldwide, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) provides food and other products to the U.S. military and produces copious amounts of trash from shipping materials and general operations.

RS&H conducted nine waste sorts at select commissaries to identify and quantify material that can be removed from the waste stream by waste reduction, reuse, or recycling. When performed at facilities without waste management programs, waste sorts frequently uncover opportunities to improve waste diversion rates, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and lower waste disposal costs.

Based on the findings of the waste sorts, RS&H determined the agency could realize an annual cost savings of more than $3.5 million by diverting organic material and reducing waste container capacities. The waste sorts also revealed the potential to reduce GHG emissions by over 25,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. The reduction exceeds the 50 percent diversion rate and puts DeCA one step closer to achieving its zero waste initiatives.

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