P2 Audit: Plastic Grocery Bags

1 P2 Audit: Plastic Grocery Bags The use of plastic bags poses a major environmental problem globally. Research shows that only 1% of plastic bags are returned to factories for recycling. Plastic grocery bags are made of toxic substances that are harmful to the environment. They are not biodegradable; it takes 400 to 1000 years for a single plastic bag to decompose.

A P2 audit is used to reduce the amount of waste that is released into the environment.

The audit is also used to reduce the harm caused by the pollutant to the public and the atmosphere. Essentially, a P2 audit should result in increased efficiency in the production, usage and disposal of the grocery bags.

1. Phase I: Pre-assessment for audit preparation.

Audit Focus and Preparation This stage involves performing an analysis of the extent of the environmental degradation caused by plastic grocery bags. This analysis helps to identify the impact caused by the wrong disposal of the toxic substances (Letcher, 2020). This step is crucial because it states the goal of the audit and as a result, determines the measures that can be taken to control pollution.

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2 This step also involves understanding the organization’s stakeholders’ concerns about the environmental issues that are created by the grocery bags. As part of the audit, the team should determine who the right people to answer the audit questions are.

Constructing Process Flow Sheets This step involves creating a tabular or pictorial representation of the process of reducing pollution by grocery bags. A process flow sheet makes information easier to understand, and also makes it easy to trace the progress of the process (Flounders, 2014). It works under the simple premise that what goes in must come out; therefore, it seeks to establish what can be done to reduce the hazard posed by the end product. A process flow sheet should be refined to the highest degree possible to create the most sustainable solution.

2. Phase II: The in-plant assessment.

Determine the Inputs In this phase, the audit team audits the life cycle of grocery bags to evaluate the areas where changes can be made. Each stage of the process should have a detailed description to ensure that nothing is overlooked. The objective is to identify the root cause of the pollution.

This step Construct a Material Balance Information Sheet The audit states what wastes are generated, at what stages and why. The material balance information sheet leads to a more thorough knowledge of the process such as the costs, volume of waste product and the degree of toxicity. Towards the end of this stage, it is essential to begin to create specific and actionable measures to reduce the harm caused by the product.

3. Phase III: Synthesis, benchmarking, and corrective actions.

3 This is the final section of the audit process. It involves brainstorming all the possible methods of reducing the generation of waste, and also identifying opportunities that may arise in the process of solving the problem. The environmental menace caused by shopping bags is easy to solve. It is possible to change the raw materials used in the manufacture of the bags to biodegradable options that are easily available. There are plastic bags that can be broken down by water, mechanical stress and sunlight.

Developing and Implementing the Action Plan Once the team develops an action plan, it should be recorded in an audit report. An audit report facilitates an accurate and consistent implementation process (Dentch, 2016). The final and most crucial step of the audit process is the implementation of the measures identified. This involves establishing the most effective strategies to implement, tracking the progress of the process an making adjustments where necessary.

4 References Dentch, M.P. (2016). The ISO 14001:2015 Implementation Handbook: Using the Process Approach to Build an Environmental Management System. Quality Press.

Flounders, A. (2014). Reducing Waste: Our Green Earth. Red Chair Press.

Letcher, T. M. (2020). Plastic Waste and Recycling: Environmental Impact, Societal Issues, Prevention, and Solutions. Elsevier.