Checklist template

Waste and recycling service inspection for facilities

A ready-to-use checklist with 114 items in 6 sections, covering Containers, Enclosure, Service frequency, Contamination, Compactors, Records. Use it as-is in InspectLoop, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 114 Items
  • 92 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 122 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Containers 21 items

  1. Name of the waste hauler serving the site Short text
  2. Trash containers on site Number
  3. Recycling containers on site Number
  4. The number of containers on site matches the service agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The size of each container matches the size billed on the hauler invoice Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Each container is labeled with the stream it takes (trash, cardboard, mixed recycling, organics) Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Stream labels show pictures or colors as well as words Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Lids are present on every container Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Lids close fully, with no material holding them open Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Container bodies are free of holes and rusted-through floors Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Drain plugs are in place Yes / No 1 pt
  12. No liquid is leaking from any container onto the pavement Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Wheels and casters roll on containers that have them Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Lock bars or gravity locks work on containers that are meant to be locked Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Containers are locked outside service hours where company policy requires, to prevent illegal dumping and scavenging Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The hauler's name and telephone number are legible on each container Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Containers show no fresh graffiti Yes / No 1 pt
  18. The inside of the organics container has been washed or exchanged within the interval in the service agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Used cooking oil or grease containers, where present, are closed and free of spills around them Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Interior collection bins at the back door are paired, so that trash and recycling stand side by side Yes / No 1 pt
  21. Condition of the containers Rating
    • Sound, lidded and labeled 5 pts
    • Minor damage or missing labels 3 pts
    • Leaking, broken or unlabeled 1 pt

2. Enclosure 20 items

  1. The enclosure gates open through their full swing Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The enclosure gates close and latch Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Gate hinges and posts are straight and firmly anchored Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Gates are kept closed outside service times Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Enclosure walls or fence panels are free of impact damage from the collection truck Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Bollards or wheel stops protecting the back wall are in place Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The concrete pad is free of broken or sunken sections that would catch container wheels Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The pad drains without standing water Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The ground inside the enclosure is free of loose litter Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No bags or boxes are stacked on the ground beside the containers Yes / No 1 pt
  11. No bulky items (pallets, furniture, fixtures, appliances) are left in the enclosure without a booked pick-up Yes / No 1 pt
  12. No material dumped by outsiders was found in the enclosure Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The pad has been pressure washed within the interval set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  14. No grease or oil staining runs from the enclosure toward a storm drain Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The truck approach to the enclosure is free of parked vehicles and stored material Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Overhead clearance above the containers is free of wires, branches and canopies Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The enclosure light works, for employees taking out waste after dark Yes / No 1 pt
  18. A sign at the enclosure states which tenants or departments may use it Yes / No 1 pt
  19. No odor from the enclosure can be noticed at the customer entrance or the nearest property line Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Condition of the enclosure Rating
    • Clean, intact and gated 5 pts
    • Littered or lightly damaged 3 pts
    • Overflowing or structurally damaged 1 pt

3. Service frequency 18 items

  1. Scheduled trash pick-ups per week Choice
    • 1 or fewer
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4 or more
  2. The pick-up days for each stream are posted at the back door or in the manager's office Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The last scheduled trash pick-up was made on its scheduled day Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The last scheduled recycling pick-up was made on its scheduled day Yes / No 1 pt
  5. No container was overflowing at the time of the inspection Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Trash container fill level seen just before a scheduled pick-up (% full) Number
  7. Recycling container fill level seen just before a scheduled pick-up (% full) Number
  8. The site has not had to hold waste inside the building between pick-ups in the last 4 weeks, as confirmed by the manager on duty Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Each missed pick-up in the log shows the date it was reported to the hauler or the waste broker Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Missed pick-ups in the last 3 months Number
  11. The hauler recovered each missed pick-up within the time set by the service agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Each extra pick-up of the last 3 months was requested by the manager or a person authorized by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Extra pick-ups ordered in the last 3 months Number
  14. Pick-ups take place within the hours allowed by the landlord or local noise rules Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Containers were found in their position inside the enclosure after the last pick-up Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The pavement on the truck route to the enclosure shows no rutting or cracking from the collection truck Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Service has been adjusted for seasonal peaks (holiday cardboard, summer organics) where the site has them Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Fit between service frequency and the volume of waste Rating
    • Right-sized 5 pts
    • Occasional overflow or part-empty pick-ups 3 pts
    • Regular overflow or clearly too frequent 1 pt

4. Contamination 18 items

  1. The cardboard container holds flattened boxes only Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The cardboard container holds no food-soiled or wax-coated boxes Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Mixed recycling holds no plastic bags or film Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Mixed recycling holds no food waste or liquids Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Recyclables are placed loose in the container, not tied in black trash bags Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The organics container holds no plastic, glass or metal Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The trash container holds no loose cardboard that should have been recycled Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The trash container holds no pallets, scrap metal or other material with its own program Yes / No 1 pt
  9. No fluorescent lamps, batteries or electronics were found in the trash or recycling Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No paint, solvents, aerosols or other chemical products were found in the trash Yes / No 1 pt
  11. No medical sharps or regulated waste were found in the general waste Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Confidential paper goes into locked shredding consoles, not the open recycling Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The janitorial crew empties recycling bins into the recycling container and not the trash, as seen or confirmed by the crew Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Liners in interior bins are color-coded by stream Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Sorting instructions are posted above the interior collection bins Yes / No 1 pt
  16. An employee asked could state which container takes cardboard and which takes food waste Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Contamination notices or charges from the hauler in the last 3 months Number
  18. Contamination seen in the recycling containers Rating
    • None 5 pts
    • A few wrong items 3 pts
    • Load likely to be rejected 1 pt

5. Compactors 20 items

  1. Compaction equipment on site Choice
    • Trash compactor
    • Cardboard baler
    • Both
    • None
  2. The compactor or baler key is removed and held by an authorized employee when the machine is not in use Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Operating instructions are posted at the machine Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A notice at the machine restricts operation to trained employees of the minimum age required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The loading door or gate interlock stops the ram when the door is opened Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The emergency stop button stopped the machine when tested Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Guards and access panels are in place Yes / No 1 pt
  8. No hydraulic oil is leaking under the power unit Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The compactor chute or hopper is free of jammed material Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The area around the charging door is clear of stored material for 3 ft (1 m) Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The pressure gauge or fullness light works, so that hauls are called at the right time Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Pressure gauge reading or fill indication at the time of the inspection (% full) Number
  13. Compactor hauls are ordered when the container is full, not on a fixed calendar Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The compactor container connects tightly to the compactor, with no spillage at the joint Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The pad under the compactor is free of leachate and food residue Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Finished cardboard bales are tied with the number of wires or straps the baler manufacturer specifies Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Finished bales are stored under cover and off the traffic route Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Bale pick-ups are frequent enough that bales do not block exits or the dock Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Date of the last preventive maintenance visit on the compactor or baler Date
  20. Condition and safe operation of compaction equipment Rating
    • Safeguards working and area clean 5 pts
    • Minor defects, safeguards working 3 pts
    • A safeguard is not working 1 pt

6. Records 17 items

  1. The current service agreement or broker service schedule is available at the site or online Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The last 3 hauler invoices are available for review Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Invoices sampled show the same container sizes and pick-up frequency as found on site Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Invoices sampled show no overage, contamination or extra-yard fee that the site cannot explain Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Compactor haul tickets show the weight of each load Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Average weight of the last 3 compactor hauls (tons or tonnes) Number
  7. Weight or volume reports by stream are received from the hauler or the broker Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Diversion rate reported for the last period (%) Number
  9. Manifests or receipts are kept for lamps, batteries and electronics sent for recycling Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Receipts are kept for used cooking oil and grease trap pump-outs, where the site has them Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A log of missed pick-ups and service complaints is kept Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Training of compactor and baler operators is recorded with names and dates Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Recycling or organics reporting required by local regulation has been filed Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Corrective actions from the previous waste inspection have been completed Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Name of the site manager Short text
  16. Overall waste and recycling service at the site Rating
    • Pick-ups on schedule, streams clean and enclosure tidy 5 pts
    • Missed pick-ups, contamination or overflow in places 3 pts
    • Regular overflow, rejected loads or a safeguard not working 1 pt
  17. Service changes and corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the InspectLoop template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In InspectLoop you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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