A waste assessment in an evaluation of your existing recycling program, including bin availability and placement, sorting, volumetric analysis, and signage. Generally done during a walk through of each facility, an assessment is the first step in reformulating recycling plans, and provides management with a summary of existing facilities.

A waste audit is much more comprehensive. This is a thorough volumetric analysis, combined with identification of how waste is being generated, and can often suggest improvements in organizational efficiency based on comparisons of raw material purchases versus outgoing waste.