Environmental & Risk Management / Waste Management / Track

Track Waste Shipments

Often, waste cannot be treated on site but must be shipped off site for processing. Whether it is municipal waste being shipped to a recycling facility or hazardous waste being shipped off-site for neutralization, fuel blending, or metal recovery, knowing when your waste is shipped off site and the company that is transporting your waste is vital for complying with government regulations, as well as for being a good corporate citizen in the management of your waste.

For example, in the United States, both the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) require documentation on the shipment of hazardous waste. With the Track Waste Shipments task, you record the details about the shipment of hazardous waste and generate the data needed for generating the required paperwork and forms.

Similarly, for non-hazardous wastes, many sites wish to document how much of their waste is treated, how much of it is recycled, and so forth so that they have specific data supporting their goals of recycling and good corporate citizenship. By using the Track Waste Shipments task to document the waste that you ship for processing, you generate exact data on your waste management initiatives.

Note: In order to track how you ship specific instances of waste, you will need to choose from lists of information on the waste practices at your site. If you find that the lists of available data do not contain the values you need, a facility manager or other person at your site needs to develop this information. For information, see Defining Background Data about your Waste Management Practices.

The Track Waste Shipment view shows wastes having the Status of Stored or the Status of Disposed with a Disposition Type of Shipment. Once you save a record from this view, its Status is changed to Disposed and its Disposition Type must be Shipment. If you want to edit stored waste before you are disposing of it, use the Track Waste Storage task.

From the Track Waste Shipments task, you can:

Enter shipment information for stored wastes once these Stored wastes are shipped. See Shipping a Stored Waste
Add a new instance of waste for which you are entering shipping information. See Shipping a Waste for which you have not Tracked Storage Information.
Define new manifests for the shipment if you have not already defined one. See Including Manifests When Shipping Waste.

Including Manifests When Shipping Wastes

If an instance of this waste is hazardous, or if this waste is subject to hazardous waste transportation regulations, you will likely need to include a manifest with your shipment. If you select a Waste Profile that identifies this waste as hazardous for transportation, then you most likely will want to include a Manifest Number with this record. If your waste is not classified as hazardous waste, you can optionally create a manifest for its shipment. If you choose not to generate a manifest, simply leave the Manifest Code field empty.

If you have already defined a waste manifest, select its number from the Manifest Number Select Values list. If, before starting this task, you have not defined your waste manifest, you can do so from this task. The instructions for shipping a stored waste and for shipping a waste for which you have not tracked storage information include the steps for defining a manifest.

Generating Labels for your Shipment

Most likely, if you have stored your waste you have already generated a label for its container using the Waste Container Labels report. Now that you have a manifest for the waste, you can manually record the manifest number on the hard-copy label. Or, you could print a new label that includes the manifest number.

Reviewing and Updating Information for Disposed Waste

The Track Waste Shipments task includes waste that has the Status of Disposed. For example, you might have defined a manifest and want to add waste to it, or you might have entered shipment information for an instance of waste from the Track Waste Shipment view. You are able to review and, if needed, update information for these disposed waste incidences from this view. For these waste instances, you can use Track Waste Shipments to enter any information that you want to track that was not previously entered for the shipment.

Shipping a Stored Waste

The Track Waste Shipments view includes waste that has the Status of Stored. This enables you to add shipment information for these instances of waste once they have been shipped. When you edit a Stored waste from this view, the Status of the waste is changed to Disposed. If you need to edit information for Stored waste without changing its Status, use the Track Waste Storage task.

If you have already entered information for the storage of an instance of waste, you can search for this instance and add the shipment information to the record. If so, you will note that many of the fields have values because you completed these fields as part of defining the storage of the waste instance. If you need to change this completed information, you are able to do so.

Note: As you work with the Track Waste Shipments task, the system will filter the list of available waste instances to include only waste instances that are to be shipped and whose waste profile is active; that is to say, the waste instance has a disposition whose Disposition Type value is Shipment and its profile has a Status of Active. Thus, if a waste instance has a Disposition Type of Discharge, this waste will not be available to choose when adding shipment information.

If you have already entered storage information for an instance of waste, follow this procedure to add shipment information.

On the Process Navigator, choose the Track Waste Shipments task.
Use the filter at the top of the screen to locate a particular instance of waste to enter its shipping information. Note that the filter provides several fields by which you may search for records. For example, enter a Site or a specific Storage or Tank area for the waste. The more fields you complete in the filter, the more limited a list the program can present. Complete the filter criteria, and select Show. If you want to access a list of all waste records, do not complete any filter fields and select Show.
In the Waste Shipment Details pane, the system lists all instances of waste meeting your search criteria (regardless of whether or not it already has shipment information), and which have a disposition of Shipment.
Sort the screen by Status to see Disposed and Stored waste listed in sequence. Disposed waste will already have its shipping information entered, so you want to work with Stored waste.
To view details of the waste without editing it, click View Waste at the end of the row for the waste.
To see details for a manifest associated with this waste, click View Manifest at the end of the row for the waste.

To edit waste, select the waste instance, and the Edit Waste Shipment pane lists the details of the instance.
From here, you can edit the details of the waste and add shipping information. See the table below for details on the shipping fields.

To create a new manifest and associate the waste with it:

Click Define New Manifest.
The Edit Waste Manifest form appears,

Enter information for the manifest. See Define Waste Manifest for descriptions of the information you can enter.

Click Save.

From the Edit Waste Shipment form, you can now associate the manifest you just defined with the shipment you are adding or editing by clicking the Select Value button next to the Manifest Number field. The manifest you just defined is in the list for you to select.
Click Save on the Edit Waste Shipment form.
When you save a record, the Status for the Stored record is changed to Disposed.

Shipping a Waste for which you have not Tracked Storage Information

Some sites may choose to not track the storage of waste, but to start tracking the waste at the time they need to ship it. For example, perhaps a site becomes aware of a quantity of waste only at the time of shipment and so did not first track the storage of this waste. Or, if you are just getting started with the application, you might need to prioritize your efforts and focus on documenting the shipment of waste rather than its storage.

In these cases, you will document the instance of waste with this task and complete all general information about the waste at this point.

On the Process Navigator, choose the Track Waste Shipments task.
Since you have not yet defined this instance of waste, skip the filter at the top of the screen. Select Show to access all waste records.
In the Waste Shipment Details pane, the system lists all instances of waste meeting your search criteria (and which have a disposition of Shipment), regardless of whether or not it already has shipment information. You will not choose an option from this list.
Since you have not yet documented this instance of waste, choose Add New.
In the Edit Waste Shipment pane, enter shipment information for the waste. See the table below for descriptions of the information you can enter. After entering information, click Save.

To create a new manifest and associate the waste with it:

Click Define New Manifest.
The Edit Waste Manifest form appears,

Enter information for the manifest. See Define Waste Manifest for descriptions of the information you can enter.

Click Save.
The Edit Waste Shipment form appears. You can now associate the manifest you just defined with the shipment you are adding or editing by clicking the Select Value button next to the Manifest Number field. The manifest you just defined is in the list for you to select.

Click Save.
When you save the record, a new waste record with the Status of Disposed is created. A record with the Status of Generated is also created as an archive record of this instance of waste. See How the Application Tracks Waste.

Completing Shipment Information

The Track Waste Shipments task presents the following fields for entering information for the shipment of this instance of waste. Note that you may have already completed some of these fields if you entered storage information for this instance of waste with the Track Waste Storage task.

Waste Code	This value uniquely identifies this specific instance of waste. This value is generated by the system and is not editable.
Manifest Number	If your waste is classified as hazardous, or its transportation is subject to regulations, you will most likely be tracking it with a manifest. Select a manifest from this list of existing manifests. Note that you can add multiple instances of waste to the same waste manifest; however, the instances of waste must all have the same generator. Thus, if you associate this instance of waste with a waste manifest, and if this waste manifest has other waste instances, this instance of waste must have the same generator as the other instances. If this is not the case, you should assign this instance of waste to a different manifest. You can also assign stored wastes to a manifest using the Track Manifest task and choosing the Add Stored Waste button.
Shipment Code	Enter a value that uniquely identifies this shipment.
Waste Profile	For this specific instance of waste, choose its general properties by selecting a waste profile from the list. By selecting a waste profile, you make all of the properties of this profile (such as regulations, gravity, CAS number, SDS number, the fact that its ultimate disposition is shipment, and so on) available to this specific instance of waste. If you select a Waste Profile that identifies this waste as hazardous for transportation, then you must include a Manifest Number with this record. If needed, use the Define Waste Manifest button to create a manifest. The system limits you to choosing only waste profiles whose Status is Active.
Date Start	The date you began storing the waste. If you had already defined this instance of waste using the Track Waste Storage task, the Date Start entered is copied from the waste storage record. A waste storage record must have a Date Start, as hazardous waste storage regulations stipulate time limits for storage, and the Date Start is used to determine these limits.
Date End	Enter the date that the waste is no longer stored at this location.
Date Shipped	Enter the date on which this instance of waste leaves your facility and is handed over to the party responsible for transporting it. This is a mandatory field when adding or editing waste records from the Track Shipments task.
Quantity	Enter the overall quantity of this waste. For example, if this instance of waste is 90 gallons, enter 90.
Unit Types	The system will automatically complete this field with the Default Unit Type of the waste profile. However, if you want to change it, you can choose Mass, Gas, or Liquid to indicate the type of waste. If you are editing a waste with the Status of Stored, you are not able to edit this field.
Units	Depending on the type of unit selected above (mass, liquid, or gas), the system will complete this field with the unit (gallon, liter, pint, cubic meter, etc.) that is set as the default for this unit type. If you wish to change this default value, choose another unit from the list of available values. For example, if your waste profile has Liquid as the Default Unit Type, the system will complete Unit Type with Liquid. The system will then present the units you defined for liquids (such as gallons, liters, or cubic meters) as values for this option and automatically complete this option with the unit whose Default? value is set to Yes. You can change the default value if needed. If you are editing a waste with the Status of Stored you are not able to edit this field.
Content Comments	Add additional comments about shipping the waste if necessary. If you entered storage information for the waste, you may have already completed this field.
Container Category	From the list of available container categories, choose the type of container in which this waste is will be shipped, such as a 50-gallon steel drum or a crate. If you have already completed this field as part of tracking storage, you typically will not need to edit this field, as in most cases the same container is used for shipping and storage. However, if this is not the case, you can edit this field to track shipping information.
Number of Containers	You may have a group of containers to ship this instance of waste. In this case, you can enter the number of containers with this option, leaving the Container Code empty. If you have already completed this field as part of tracking storage, you typically will not need to edit this field, as in most cases the same container is used for shipping and storage. However, if this is not the case, you can edit this field to track shipping information.
Container Code	Enter a value to uniquely identify the container in which the waste is shipped. If you have already completed this field as part of tracking storage, you typically will not need to edit this field, as in most cases the same container is used for shipping and storage. However, if this is not the case, you can edit this field to track shipping information.
Waste Disposition	If you are shipping a stored waste and have already defined this instance of waste, this field will show the value you completed when defining the waste. If you are creating this instance of waste now (as part of documenting its shipment), you must enter how this waste will ultimately be handled once it is shipped, such as whether it will be recycled off-site or disposed of off site. You will be limited to choosing dispositions whose Disposition Type is Shipment. This field is required when you are shipping waste.
Management Method Code	From this existing list of waste management methods, choose the method that defines how this waste will be handled (for example, brought to a landfill, incinerated, discharged as waste water). In the US, manifests that accompany the shipment of waste must include the management method, per EPA regulations.
Generator Code	If you have tracked waste storage and already completed the generator of this instance of waste, the system will display this same generator. If the waste is hazardous, you should specify the party who generated it, as this will be required for the manifest. If this instance of waste is already associated with a manifest and this manifest has other waste instances, you must choose the same generator as the other waste instances. If this instance of waste does not have a generator entered for it, the system will assign it the same generator as the waste instances already associated with this manifest. For more information, see Completing the Waste Generator for a Manifest and for a Waste.
Waste Facility Code	Enter the facility that will be taking charge of the waste, once it is delivered by the transporter. Choose a value from the list of existing waste facilities.
Transporter Code	Enter the party that will be transporting the waste. Choose a value from the list of existing transporters. You will be limited to choosing transporters whose Status is Active. Note that for non-hazardous waste, you may want to track only that the waste has been shipped; you don't need to track details beyond that it left your site. In such cases, you may leave this field blank.
Site Code	Select the site from which the waste will be shipped.
Property Code	If necessary, you can additionally associate property information with your waste. This is optional, as waste is required to be associated with a site. Site and property roughly correspond with one another, with site emphasizing the physical location, whereas property emphasizes the legal and financial aspects.
Building/Floor/Room	If you have tracked the storage of this instance of waste, you will see that the system automatically completed these fields with the location of the Storage Area/Tank that you specified. If you have not tracked storage, enter this location information if needed.
Equipment Code	If applicable, use this field to associate the waste with the particular piece of equipment that generated it. For example, your heating equipment might discharge used oil as waste. Enter the equipment item from which this instance of waste was generated by choosing a value from the existing list of equipment items.
Division/Department	If you wish to associate the waste with a specific division or department, enter it in these fields. This could be the division and department of the associated employee, the division and department associated with the equipment specified above, or the location of the storage area. You might have already completed this field as part of tracking the waste's storage.
Employee	If the waste is associated with a specific employee, you can complete this field. Otherwise, leave this field blank. You may have already completed this field as part of tracking the waste's storage.
Contact	If your site has established a set of outside contacts with whom you may need to communicate about your waste, you may associate a contact with this instance of waste by choosing a contact from the list. Note that the Waste Processing Facility and Waste Transporter tables each contain fields holding contact information. If you want to complete this field with this information, you would need to enter these parties into the Contacts table using the tasks of the Facilities - Background Data process. You may have already completed this field as part of tracking the waste's storage.