Without environmental tracking and reporting, we wouldn’t understand the full scope of the problems businesses cause for the planet. For example, we now know that plastic makes up 12 percent of all municipal solid waste. Predictions, as stated by the 2018 What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management publication, indicate that global waste generation will reach 3.40 billion tons per year by 2050.
While tracking your company’s waste output might seem like nothing but a downside, the truth is that it offers a range of benefits. After all, your year-end waste and recycling management report isn’t just another metric of your commitment to the planet—it’s an important tool for building trust with your stakeholders.
What is an Annual Waste and Recycling Report?
An annual waste report is a document that provides a comprehensive overview of a business's trash and recycling activities over a specific period, typically a calendar year. Often created for several purposes, these annual reports include compliance with local or national regulations, transparency, sustainability reporting, and environmental protection assessment.
While companies might generate these annual reports to prove compliance with environmental laws, their benefits don’t stop there. They provide:
- Tangible evidence of your commitment to sustainability.
- The effects of the improvements you have made.
- Your vision for the future.
What to Include in an Annual Report
It is essential to provide clear, verifiable reporting information and communicate your ongoing efforts to address materials management challenges. Keter's proprietary eTrac system not only creates visually appealing reports but also allows you to analyze your waste management data so you can make informed decisions.
Key components of an annual report include:
- Waste Generation Data: This section details the types and quantities of waste generated by your organization. It’s typically broken down into categories like hazardous waste, non-hazardous waste, and recyclable materials.
- Recovery Rates: This section includes information on the quantities of waste that were recycled, composted, or otherwise diverted from landfills. It often specifies business recycling rates for materials like paper, plastic, glass, and metal.
- Waste Disposal Methods: This is an overview of how waste not recycled or recovered was disposed of, such as landfilling, incineration, or other methods.
- Regulatory Compliance: If the organization is subject to waste management regulations, the report may detail how it has complied with these requirements.
- Environmental Impact: Include information on the environmental impact of waste generation and materials management, such as calculations of greenhouse gas emissions associated with waste disposal or local cleanup efforts.
- Sustainability Initiatives: Businesses should include descriptions of any sustainability or waste reduction initiatives undertaken by the organization during the reporting period.
- Future Goals: Let agencies know you’ve read the report, adjusted your business practices to steer sustainability efforts, and welcome recommendations for improving waste management.
Who Should See Your Annual Report?
Suppose your report shows a continuing upward trend in sustainable waste management. In that case, you’ll want to share it with as many people as possible. Using tools like Keter's advanced waste management reporting system can provide clean and easy-to-read information to your shareholders.
Certain stakeholders will be interested in how your recycling efforts measure up, including:
Internal Stakeholders
Your internal stakeholders have a direct financial interest in your operations, activities, and performance. They include:
- Employees: Employees are a company's most valuable asset and are key internal stakeholders. Their interests include not just the environment but also job security, fair compensation, a safe working environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Management and executives: Senior management, executives, and the board of directors have a significant stake in the company's performance. They are responsible for setting the company's sustainability strategy once the report has been generated.
- Shareholders and owners: Shareholders or owners of the company hold a financial stake in the business. They are interested in its profitability, growth, and the value of their investments, all areas that waste management efforts impact.
- Trade unions: In cases where employees are unionized, trade unions represent the interests of the workers in matters such as wages, working conditions, and job security.
- Suppliers: Suppliers provide the raw materials and services necessary for the company's operations, so they have a vested interest in its stability and financial health.
- Investors: This group includes individuals or entities that have invested capital in the company and seek a return on their investment through dividends, capital appreciation, or interest payments.
External Stakeholders
External stakeholders are individuals, groups, or entities that can influence or be influenced by the business's decisions, such as:
- Customers: Customers care about the quality and affordability of a company's products. Still, they are also conscious of the impact of business and manufacturing on the environment. Harmful business recycling practices can affect purchasing decisions, diminishing the company's revenue and success.
- Suppliers: Suppliers are internal stakeholders with external interests. These interests include securing long-term contracts, preserving their own brand reputation, and working with businesses that share their values. Suppliers interested in environmental responsibility may use the information to align with your organization's sustainability goals.
- Creditors and lenders: Banks, financial institutions, and bondholders who have extended credit to the company are interested in its financial stability and ability to repay debt.
- Governments and regulators: Government agencies and regulatory bodies set laws, regulations, and tax policies that can impact the company's operations. Compliance with these regulations is crucial for a company's legal and ethical standing.
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs): NGOs often focus on issues related to corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental impact, and ethical business practices. They can advocate for changes in a company's behavior.
- Local communities: A company’s activities may impact the communities where a company operates in terms of job creation, environmental impact, and social responsibility.
- Media: The media can significantly influence public perception of a company's reputation, particularly if a company's corporate ethics are harmful to society or the environment.
- Competitors: Competitors are external stakeholders interested in the company's activities and performance as they affect the competitive landscape of the industry.
Benefits of Sharing Your Annual Waste Reports
Transparency is the most significant benefit of providing detailed and accurate data on waste reports. Being upfront about the amount and types of waste generated, business recycling rates, and cleanup and disposal methods shows that your organization is open about its environmental impact. Transparency builds trust by allowing stakeholders to see the full picture of your waste management efforts.
Disclosing your annual reports can also demonstrate the following:
Accountability
When you report on your waste and recycling performance, you set clear, measurable goals and track progress. This practice demonstrates a commitment to being accountable for your environmental impact. Stakeholders are more likely to trust an organization that takes responsibility for its actions and strives to improve.
Consistency
Consistency in reporting helps stakeholders believe that your sustainability efforts are not just a PR stunt but a long-term strategy. By publishing an annual report, you show that your efforts are not just a one-time gesture but an ongoing commitment.
Outperforming Standards
You must do more than just comply with recycling reporting requirements. By outpacing them, you assure stakeholders that your goal is not just meeting the minimum legal requirements but striving to go beyond to minimize your environmental impact.
Collaboration
Involving stakeholders in your waste and recycling programs demonstrates that you value their input and are working collectively to address environmental concerns. Always offer a way for stakeholders to provide feedback on the report to assure them that you are open to ideas and willing to make improvements.
How to Create a Thorough Annual Waste Management Report
Building an effective annual report begins with comprehensive and accurate tracking. If you’re not tracking your waste systems, the data in your reports will be spotty at best.
Once you have your metrics, there are plenty of ways to take your annual waste management reporting to the next level. In addition to the required components, a thorough summary might include:
- Data visualization: Submitting an annual report that includes a long list of numbers makes for boring reading, and it could also suggest to regulators that your business has something to hide. The best report forms include charts, graphs, and tables to make the data more accessible and understandable.
- Case studies or success stories: Give your data some context with real-life examples of successful waste reduction or reuse within the organization and how they have positively impacted the community or the environment. Real-world examples help stakeholders see the tangible benefits of your efforts.
- Impact metrics: Present clear metrics on the environmental impact of your waste reduction efforts. Examples include the reduction in carbon emissions, energy savings, or resources conserved. Concrete data can be more persuasive in building trust than vague statements.
- Analysis: Your sustainability efforts don’t exist in a vacuum. Present your information in a way that makes it easy to compare it with previous years’ recycling and waste diversion rates. Include any changes in contamination levels and other improvements.
- Challenges: Every industry has problem areas that can slow their sustainability efforts. Be sure to acknowledge any challenges you face in waste management and roadblocks to meeting current sustainability trends. Discuss your organization's plans for improving its waste facilities in the future.
- Comparison: In addition to showing your year-on-year performance, comparing your numbers to other businesses in your industry or those in your local area. Examining your industry or geographic location can give context to any measurements that may seem unacceptably high (or low).
- Audits: Having your report externally audited or verified by a third-party organization adds credibility and assurance to the findings presented in the annual report. This external audit enhances trust in your sustainability efforts.
- Partners: Mention your partnerships with other businesses, local agencies, or nonprofits to identify potential areas for improvement. You should also include any awards or certifications you received for your efforts.
Get Help With Your Municipal Solid Waste Reports
At Keter Environmental Services, we create dynamic end-to-end waste management systems that make it easy to record and report your sustainability wins. We use advanced technology to revolutionize your waste streams, including real-time waste monitoring, predictive analytics, and AI algorithms.
Ready to elevate your waste management practices and foster trust among stakeholders? Keter Environmental Services offers cutting-edge solutions tailored for you. Schedule a 30-minute demo call with a sustainability expert.
