Municipal Building Waste Audit Program

One of the Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet’s goals is for City agencies to lead by example as it paves the way toward a Zero Waste future, and one way that the City will pursue this goal is through the Municipal Building Waste Audit Program. This program aims to get building operators and staff to think more about the waste they generate and how to keep more of it out of landfills.

Yearly Requirements for Municipal Buildings

Each municipal building in Philadelphia is required to submit the Philadelphia Municipal Building Waste Audit Form annually by December 31 to report on which materials the facility generates and the waste haulers servicing the facility.

Download the Municipal Building Waste Audit Guide for detailed information on what the City’s requirements are, how to fulfill them, and resources for identifying opportunities to reduce and divert your building’s waste.

Optional Monthly Zero Waste Reporting

Municipal facility managers can elect to learn more about opportunities for waste diversion and report in greater detail on the waste management practices at their facilities by completing the optional monthly “Zero Waste Reporting” form. Building managers who go above and beyond to pursue Zero Waste in their buildings and complete the monthly reporting can achieve different levels of recognition as Zero Waste Partners. You may wish to use the Building Waste Generation Calculator Tool (Microsoft Excel file) to help you estimate your facility’s waste generation totals and complete the form.

Get Recognized for Your Efforts—Become a Zero Waste Partner!

Achieving recognition as a Zero Waste Partner allows you to share with employees and the public your commitment to helping the city reach its Zero Waste goal and to creating a more sustainable Philadelphia. For more information, managers for City facilities should email Waste.Audit@phila.gov.

Outcomes

The first Municipal Waste Audit is complete, and resulted in several measurable outcomes. This data has been used to improve the City’s waste programs across all of its properties. Data collected from the first Waste Audit has resulted in:

• New contracts for construction and demolition debris and waste cooking oil
• Combining electronic waste and universal waste to streamline recycling processes
• Identification of certain facilities that had not been receiving recycling collection and adding them to Streets Department’s collection routes
• Departments using results and feedback from facility staff to identify and address waste-related challenges (for example, Parks & Recreation’s waste corrals)
• Standardized recycling signage, bin stickers, and other outreach materials
• Certain departments doing monthly waste tracking in specific buildings

Composting system established at the Bureau of Laboratory Services site