Home / The guide / Waste and compost

Keep records and review each year

A simple log shows whether your systems are working and helps plan trips, compost use and purchases.

How

1. Keep a waste log (paper or spreadsheet) with weekly volumes from the tracker calculator.
2. Record compost pile start dates, temperature readings, turning dates and finish dates.
3. If you run a digester, record daily feed, gas use and maintenance (filter changes, water trap drains, leak tests).
4. Record every hauling trip and hazardous drop-off.
5. Once a year, compare against your first audit: which streams shrank, which grew, and what to change in purchasing.

Sources

1. Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Hierarchy. US Environmental Protection Agency (archived snapshot), accessed 2026-11
2. Biodigester user manual (B2C, 2021). Sistema.bio (manufacturer), accessed 2026-11

Open in the interactive guide