Responsibility Tracking
Understanding waste responsibility is critical in defining and managing how obligations and claims are assumed or assigned. Each responsibility of fulfillment should be identified and tracked through the course of its lifecycle to ensure system transparency.
Accountability Events
Material flows can lead to the emergence of responsibilities or the provision of applicable services to fulfill them. These events enable the quantification and characterization of the complete lifecycle of responsibilities, enhancing accountability.
| Event | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Generation | The process of releasing internally created waste or applicable materials to the external system, from the internal system. | A factory producing waste in a process and transferring it to a waste management facility. |
| Termination | The process of internally giving waste from the external system an end to its lifecycle. | A recycling facility receiving waste from generators and transforming it into marketable resources. |
| Leakage | The process of losing control of waste, releasing it from the controlled system into the uncontrolled system. | A landfill experiencing unintended waste runoff into nearby ecosystems. |
| Capture | The process of gaining control of waste, transferring it from the uncontrolled system to the controlled system. | An environmental cleanup initiative removing plastics from water bodies. |
To identify cases in which responsibility or applicable services emerge, material flows need to be assessed. This clarifies where responsibility for waste’s risks and harm emerges, and what leads to valid claims of their successful management.
Offsetting Guidelines
In waste accounting, the concept of offsetting involves offsetting waste responsibilities with their appropriate services. This process is based on several critical rules:
| Rule | Definition |
|---|---|
| Domains | Offsetting means fulfilling obligations. Generation can be compensated with termination, while leakage can be compensated with capture. |
| Mass Balance | Waste is measured in mass, which is used to measure the effectiveness of offsetting. |
| Ratio | Depending on the circumstances, different ratios of events can be applied, including 1:1 ratios, 1:N ratios, and N:1 ratios, indicating the relation of events in each offset. |
| Order | The sequence of matched events is crucial when using 1:N or N:1 ratios. The rule of order determines the precedence and consistency in the compensation process, ensuring that no event is overlooked or overused. |
| Uniqueness | Each waste event must be uniquely accounted for, and cannot be used in multiple offsetting instances. |
| Performance | Offset performance assesses how well-matched the characteristics of events are. Any responsibility can be offset with any fulfillment of its corresponding domain, but performance is affected by their characteristics. |
Waste Footprints
A waste footprint is a balance of waste responsibilities over a specific timeframe.
A waste footprint quantifies and characterizes all waste externalities. There are two types of waste footprints:
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Direct Waste Footprint. This footprint provides an overview of the organization's waste management effectiveness within the controlled system. A zero or negative balance demonstrates effective waste management, meaning that the entity is managing as much or more waste than it is generating. Conversely, a positive balance indicates more waste is being generated than managed, signifying a need for more involvement.
Management = Generation - Termination
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Indirect Waste Footprint. This footprint provides an assessment of an organization’s externalities in the form of indirect costs, manifested in the uncontrolled system through environmental and social impacts. A zero or negative balance reflects successful stewardship. A positive balance indicates a surplus of waste leakage, highlighting the need for enhanced remediation efforts or leakage prevention.
Remediation = Leakage - Capture