A new ASTM International standard, E2979, aims to help manufacturers classify discarded materials from their factories and facilities to help meet the important need for companies to value corporate responsibility and the environment.
E2979 provides a general classification for sustainability accounting purposes and key performance indicators related to discarded materials.
ASTM International member Amy Costello, who is a sustainability manager at Armstrong Flooring, said the standard provides a system based on classification, location, disposition, and treatment.
“It will provide manufacturers a common way to classify waste materials generated at their facilities,” Costello said.
Costello says that many manufacturers—especially global companies and companies with many facilities—find it difficult to determine how much waste they generate because of different requirements related to waste.
E2979 was developed by ASTM International’s committee on sustainability E60.