Sustainability has always been a core value at Loll Designs starting when we were founded in 2007. Since our beginnings, Loll has pursued being a leader in both design and sustainable practices. Through using partially recycled materials that are 100% recyclable and cutting waste from our manufacturing processes wherever possible through reduction, reclamation, and reuse. This past October, Loll team members performed a waste audit to better understand where we could continue to improve reducing our total waste at our headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota.
What is a Waste Audit?
A Waste Audit is a formal way to analyze the waste streams that companies create. It identifies what types of waste streams created and where potential cross contamination is happening. By having a structured look at Loll's waste we can identify where we are doing well at managing our carbon footprint.
Why Did Loll Perform a Waste Audit?
This was the first annual waste audit that Loll performed to set a benchmark for where we stand in our environmental impact as a company. This audit allowed us to see where current opportunities for improvement exist to reduce company waste, not only in our manufacturing process but throughout our facility. This audit also contributes to our goal of TRUE certification, following the parameters set forth by the USGBC’s TRUE zero waste analysis credits.
How Did This Waste Audit Work?
A week before our waste audit in October 2024, all trash and recycling was saved for a manual weight and count. Then on the day of the waste audit Loll team members rolled up their sleeves and got to work. The team took all trash and recycling to the front of the building to be hand sorted. Starting with trash, items were laid out on tarps and then placed into twelve categorized bins (plus a cross-contamination container) to be weighted. After all trash was sorted and weighed on a shipping scale, it was documented. This process was then repeated with all recycling.
Upon reviewing the waste, the team came together to discuss the audit findings, identified areas for improvement, and shared ideas on how to support Loll’s zero-waste initiative.
What Was Found From The Waste Audit?
The waste audit was a great exercise to learn where we could improve in our goal for zero-waste. In our findings we discovered the biggest opportunity for reducing Loll’s facility waste is improving awareness of our commercial composting program among team members. Cross contamination of trash with compost was a large portion of our waste with 39% of trash being compostable. Other opportunities for improvements included reducing use of paper hand towels and plastic paper from product packaging. When looking at recycling, corrugated cardboard created 82% of Loll Designs recycling. If we could reduce our use of corrugated cardboard, it would create significant reductions in our recycling stream as well.
What Changes are Being Made Based on This Audit?
Since concluding the audit, we are looking into several solutions to push our sustainability further. This includes a heavier focus on employee education for what can be recycled and composted, encouraging the use of hand dryers over single use paper towel in restrooms, and seeking out sustainable packaging options for our labels. Team members have also requested more compost sites added throughout the facility to make composting more accessible.
This waste audit allowed us to see where we could improve our sustainability in not only our manufacturing, but our entire facility. It also showed us where we stand currently as a company working towards zero-waste.
