INSIDE

Measurement

Approaches . . . . 3

Data Collection. . 6

Calculating

Benefits. . . . . . 12

THE MEASURE OF THE MEASURE OF 

SUCCESS—CALCULA SUCCESS—CALCULATING

WASTE REDUCTION ASTE REDUCTION

2 Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent po
Why Measure?

Measurement is critical to every component of a waste

reduction program—including waste prevention (preventing

waste before it is generated, also known as source reduction),

recycling collection, and buying or manufacturing products

with recycled content. WasteWise partners report the following six main benefits of measurement:

• Justifies waste reduction programs to management.

Measurement is an essential factor in perpetuating most

partners’ waste reduction programs. “By tracking the

results of our waste reduction efforts, we are able to justify

the continuation of our program and maintain upper

management’s support,” explains Maureen Burke of Bell

Atlantic, a 1998 WasteWise Partner of the Year. 

• Provides positive publicity opportunities. Public recognition of an organization’s environmental stewardship is a

considerable marketing asset. Just ask the eight organizations recognized as WasteWise Partners of the Year in

1998 (see page 3). But this type of positive publicity from

WasteWise or other programs is only possible when partners take the time to monitor and report their waste

reduction successes.

• Reveals the economic value of waste reduction. By demonstrating economic benefits, measurement helps justify your

organization’s continued involvement in environmental

activities. Effective measurement reveals, for example, which

waste reduction activities are most efficient and which save

the most money—vital information for your organization’s

future allocation of resources. George Thomas of Eastman

Kodak Company, a 1998 WasteWise Program Champion,

agrees, “Waste reduction measurement, including cost savings results, is critical for obtaining top management support for our efforts.” Management often finds clear,

indisputable cost savings data to be the most persuasive. 

• Uncovers opportunities for process efficiency. Me

can bolster the overall productivity of your organiz

Careful measurement, for example, can reveal that 

nization is wasting money on materials that simply 

away, such as unnecessary forms and paperwork. 

• Motivates employees. Measurement also can b

tool in motivating employees to participate in w

tion programs. Evidence that individual worke

reduction efforts have made a real difference ca

key to maintaining the energy and dedication t

successful environmental programs. 

• Fulfills a WasteWise partner responsibility. Ye

WasteWise is a voluntary program, but it also c

it a few important responsibilities—in particula

responsibility to measure waste reduction result

Measuring results allows you to compare your 

tion’s efforts to others and contribute to the ag

waste reduction results published annually by W

It Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

To some companies, measurement might seem 

plex, labor-intensive task. But, as WasteWise part

the nation have repeatedly shown, the most effect

surement systems often are simple and user-friend

Update provides step-by-step instructions on how 

or improve your measurement system and explain

of options requiring different levels of effort and 

The key steps are:

• Selecting a measurement approach that’s right f

organization. 

• Maintaining a dynamic data collection system.

• Determining what your “ounce of prevention” 

To help you along the way, this Update also inc

of measurement publications, tools, and Web site

Y

waste reduction activities benefit the environment and

your bottom line, but, until you measure them, their

true impact will remain unknown.
The first step is to determine what your organization

needs to measure. Some data collection techniques work better than others for certain waste reduction approaches,

depending on the materials, activities, or locations involved.

If your organization chooses to measure electronic equipment

sold or donated for reuse, for instance, it will be easier to

obtain data by examining sales records or donation receipts

than by examining hauler records. As a WasteWise partner,

you probably already set goals in the areas of waste prevention, recycling collection, and buying or manufacturing

products with recycled content, so start by reviewing your

WasteWise goals to determine the following: 

• Range of materials covered. The types of wastes you

measure will directly impact your data collection process.

To justify material-specific programs or goals, you need

to collect data on a material-specific level. To measure

office paper reduction, for example, records of how much

paper your organization purchases will show particularly

useful data. 

• Types of activities captured. To justify waste reduction in

general, an aggregate result based on hauler records might

be sufficient. To justify discrete waste reduction activities,

such as getting suppliers to switch to reusable containers,

you need to measure results on an activity-specific level. A

survey of employees responsible for coordinating reuse of

containers with the supplier, for example, might help to

estimate the number of reusable containers used in a given

• Operational areas included. Consider the type 

your organization’s operations and whether yo

one or more facilities in your waste reduction 

Are your waste removal and purchasing operat

tralized for all facilities, for example, or would 

to coordinate with several facility managers to 

data you need?

The larger the facility and the more complex th

stream, the more data you might need to collect a

more complicated the ultimate analysis might be. 

organization has several facilities, you might desig

of employees (e.g., one at each facility) to collect 

that will ultimately be combined into one report. 

What Data Sources Are

Available?

After determining the scope and possible resource 

for your measurement project, you can now evaluate 

available to find the data you need. Options include

• Examining hauler, purchasing, or sales records.

• Conducting a facility walk-through.

• Surveying your employees to find out how mu

being generated and reduced.

• Conducting a waste sort.

Table 1 (page 4) provides an overview of the va

options for collecting waste generation data and co

strengths and limitations of each. If your organiza

not have much experience in waste reduction and 

ment activities or if you have resource constraints 

you might consider beginning with just one of the

approaches. Later, you can expand the scope of yo

and use a combination of approaches as necessary.

For more detailed information, see the followin

Maintaining a Dynamic Data Collection System.

1998 Partners of the Year: 

BankAmerica Corporation 

Bell Atlantic 

Target Stores 

Public Service Electric & Gas Company

Schlegel Systems, Inc. 

Southern Mills, Inc. 

Applied Specialties, Inc. 

Sligo Adventist School
Purchasing Records

An internal examination of your purchasing records can reveal how much

money was spent on different products

from one year to the next, as well as

quantities purchased. Organizations

also can ask their suppliers for invoices, which contain the same kind of

information.

• Can provide data for estimates of

waste generation of specific materials.

• Tracks potential wastes from the

point of origin.

• Can track low-volume or seasonal

waste materials.

• Helps identify the most expensive

components of an organization’s

waste.

• Can identify and track recycledcontent or source-reduced purchases.

• Might provide incomplete 

waste generation if all m

are not tracked from the 

purchase.

• Can be difficult to track 

decentralized purchasing

• Tracks quantity purchase

ume or weight.

• Might be difficult to corre

chase date with use or d

if materials are stored fo

periods of time.

Sales Records 

Sales records can provide information

on revenue from resale of surplus

equipment or materials.

• Documents the financial benefits of

reuse including total revenues and

(potentially) avoided disposal costs.

• Only valid for those item

reusable.

• Typically does not provid

weight or volume of item

Employee Surveys

Periodic surveys of employees that deal

directly with waste generation, disposal, and recycling of a particular product can yield specific data on waste

generation and reduction.

• Can monitor the effectiveness of

employee education programs and

indicate behavior changes.

• Can provide information about specific waste components.

• Can be a burden depend

scope and frequency of s

• Most likely relies on estim

rather than exact measur

Facility Walk-Through

A facility walk-through involves touring

an entire facility or a portion thereof

(e.g., the administrative office but not

the manufacturing plant) to observe

the activities of different departments

and talk with employees about wasteproducing activities and equipment. 

• Allows first-hand examination of

facility operations and raises awareness of all involved.

• Can provide qualitative information

about major waste components and

waste-generating processes.

• Allows interviews with personnel,

which can reveal waste prevention,

recycling, and purchasing opportunities.

• Might not identify all was

generated.

• Might not be representat

conducted once.

• Relies on estimates of wa

ation.

Waste Sort

A waste sort involves the physical collection, sorting, and weighing of an

organization’s waste. The goal of the

sort is to identify each waste component and calculate its percentage of

the overall waste stream.

• Provides the most accurate waste

generation data for an entire facility

or functional area, depending on

scope.

• Might require multiple st

significant workspace.

• Might not be representat

tistically valid if only cond

once or on a small samp

• Does not provide qualita

mation on how or why w

generated.

* See Table 2 on page 8 for information on how to collect data for specific activities and materials.

R

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c

e

I

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t

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n

s

i

t

y

Hig

h
detailed measurement activities,

which usually require higher resource

investments. Conducting a waste

sort, for example, often

requires more time and

resources than working

with hauler or purchasing

records. Making the decisions discussed in the previous

section—how your organization will use its waste reduction data and what approaches and sources to use—will

help you target your measurement resources.

A good way to maximize time and resources is to establish a waste reduction team to coordinate measurement

efforts among appropriate departments. Teamwork can

generate useful input and perspectives throughout an

organization. An employee in purchasing, for example,

will be more familiar with how much of a given item the

organization purchases, while an employee in field operations will know more about how that item is used and discarded. Another way to streamline your measurement

responsibilities is to piggyback the project on existing

training, reporting, invoicing, or auditing activities. 

Also, consider the following ideas to help you maximize

available resources as you begin to collect data:

Conduct a Pilot Test 

Initially, your organization might opt to implement its

waste reduction activities on a small scale, and measure

results to reveal how effective these activities are. If your

organization already has an established waste reduction

program, you might consider pilot testing measurement

approaches first with a specific facility, material, or activity to determine the feasibility of each approach. 

Use Established Estimates 

It is sometimes helpful to use default weights when calculating pounds of waste prevented. In determining the

amount of waste prevented through an office paper reduction program, for example, you might only know the total

number of paper purchases (e.g., reams) avoided. Knowing

waste profiles and compositions for dif

industries. The database is available thro

CIWMB’s Web site at <www.ciwmb.ca.g

WasteChar/bizdata.htm>.

Enlist Support 

University students can help collect data and 

measurement strategy for a minimal cost. Orga

with more resources available also might consid

consultants with experience in measurement wh

tailor a program to fit a particular organization

Bell Atlantic Makes the

Waste Reduction Connect

Bell Atlantic established a waste reduction team 

prised of employees from seven different depar

This team helped Bell Atlantic measure the was

eliminated in 1997—more than 2.9 million

pounds—and the dollars it saved—more than 

million. In working to achieve its waste reductio

and measure the results, the team consolidates 

synthesizes a variety of data “inputs” from throu

the organization, ranging from waste preventio

recycling data to legislative trends and market i

tion. The team evaluates and addresses these in

help produce and organize a series of “outputs

including internal and external reports and upd

waste reduction guidelines.
O

surement processes will vary from program

to program, the basic steps are the same. 

Step One:

Establish the

Baseline

A baseline, or set of data representing the conditions from

which you start, serves a number of purposes. First, it provides

a frame of reference for your waste reduction program. To measure waste prevention progress, for example, you need to know

how much waste your organization was generating before you

implemented your prevention program. Establishing this baseline and periodically collecting waste generation data are the

core activities of waste prevention measurement. 

Developing a baseline also helps your organization establish a consistent data collection procedure. Before starting a

waste reduction program, take the time to answer the planning questions described on pages 3 through 5 and make the

key measurement decisions discussed there. You don’t have to

get it absolutely right the first time. The trial and error of

setting a baseline is an opportunity to explore which data

collection approach works best. Once you decide on a measurement approach, however, you should stick with it. Make

sure you’re satisfied with the data collection method and be

certain your data sources are likely to remain available. An

organization that establishes a waste generation baseline

using purchasing records, but later switches to hauler records,

for example, probably would find the data from the two

sources difficult to compare. 

Finally, baseline setting provides an opportunity to

inventory current waste prevention activities. Your baseline

should take these activities into account so your previous

accomplishments are recorded when you measure your

progress. This inventory of current prevention practices can

help define the scope of the waste prevention program. You

might realize, for example, that the prevention practices

occurring in one area might work in others—a shipping 

department’s successful

pallet return program with a routine customer might inspire the purchasing

department to include a pallet return provision i

supplier contracts. 

Step T

Contin

Data

Collec

Waste reduction is a dynamic process. Once yo

prevention program is underway, you’ll need to co

lecting data to evaluate the program’s effectiveness

the program periodically to accomplish the follow

• Track program successes and build upon them.

• Identify areas needing improvement.

• Determine the effect of any changes to the pro

as new waste prevention activities.

• Develop new ideas for waste reduction.

• Keep employees informed and motivated.

• Document compliance with state and local reg

Collect a second set of data after the program h

place long enough to affect your organization’s wa

tion rate, usually 6 months to 1 year. Since you h

developed a data collection process to determine y

line, subsequent data collection should be much e

might be worthwhile to conduct additional waste 

periodically to determine further changes in the c

of your organization’s waste. Trends in waste gene

o

ables 
But what if your organization wants waste prevention or

recycling data for specific materials or activities? Or what if

you need data on the quantity or types of products purchased with recycled content or information on the percentage of postconsumer recycled content in those products?

Some data collection techniques are better than others for

certain goals, materials, and activities. Table 2 (page 8) provides a few examples.

Step Three:

Calculate

Results

Before preparing your waste prevention results, consider the

level of detail your organization needs to evaluate the effectiveness

of its waste prevention program. Some organizations might not

need extremely detailed results. Depending on the level of accuracy you require, how you collect data, and how much time you

want to spend on waste prevention measurement, calculations can

range from simple estimates to more complex equations.

Once you determine the level of detail required, your

organization is ready to calculate its waste prevention results

by comparing the baseline to subsequent waste generation

data. When measuring the amount of waste prevented, select

the time period (e.g., weeks or months) easiest for you to

measure. Multiply these figures by the appropriate annual

multiplier to come up with an estimate of the amount of

waste reduced per year. Annual waste prevented should also

be converted to either weight or volume figures. If you are

charged for waste removal based on weight, you can convert

the amount of waste reduced to a standard measure (i.e.,

tons). If you are charged for waste removal by volume or per

pull, you can convert this amount to cubic yards.

The sample calculations on pages 9 and 10 will help you

determine results for two common waste prevention activities: multiple-use packaging and paper reduction.

whom did not have experience conducting waste 

Baxter’s solution? To obtain the weight of each m

solid waste dumpster load from each facility, with 

tion from local waste haulers. The company plan

total these weights at the end of each year to dev

annual nonhazardous waste generation figure at 

facility, each division, and finally for the company 

whole. This corporate-level approach did not targ

specific materials, it allowed the individual facilitie

lor their programs to the composition of their was

While this method of establishing a waste genera

baseline was fairly straightforward, the company 

some challenges. Some Baxter facilities used cont

waste haulers that did not weigh individual dump

loads. For facilities using these haulers, Baxter de

a table of dumpster default weights that allowed 

ties to estimate the weight of different types of du

loads: “full but loose,” “full and compacted,” “ha

and compacted,” and so on.

Using the hauler information and dumpster defau

weights, Baxter compiled its companywide waste 

tion baseline in 1989, allowing the company to m

its progress toward its goal of reducing all nonha

waste by 65 percent (per unit) over the next 7 yea

According to Baxter’s director of environmental e

ing Ron Meissen, “To conduct a waste reduction p

you have to have a challenging but achievable g

the best way to determine if you’re meeting those 

to measure your progress toward them.
Replace paper manuals with online

manuals.

Reuse office supplies.

Lightweight packaging.

Switch to reusable containers.

Work with suppliers to reduce waste

from inbound shipments.

Replace disposable cafeteria items

with reusable ones.

Donate materials.

Compost on site.

Reduce waste in a particular

department.

Recycling Collection

Collect more recyclables.

Buying Products With

Recycled Content

Increase percentage of recycled

content in products purchased.

Increase the quantity and types of

purchases containing recycled

materials.

y py

• Estimate weight of old manual and multiply by the number of employees to 

it would usually be distributed.

• Survey employees. 

• Estimate weight of reused office supplies using the table of default weights 

• Examine packaging supply invoices (multiply boxes supplied by the reductio

weight per box).

• Examine past and present packaging supply invoices. Work with a reusable 

container vendor to determine number of times containers can be reused b

disposal. See Calculation 1, page 9 for a sample calculation.

• Write into contracts that vendors must detail packaging specifications on in

• Look at cafeteria purchasing records or invoices.

• Conduct pilot test to monitor cafeteria consumer behavior over a given time 

• Work with cafeteria contractor to obtain cafeteria product usage figures.

• Examine donation receipts.

• Estimate weight using volume-to-weight conversions for yard trimmings list

<www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/recycle/recmeas/conversn.htm>.

• Direct a waste sort, or a series of waste sorts, at the particular department.

• Review hauler records for data on volumes and tonnages of recyclables co

• Estimate total volume of recycling bins and track frequency of collection. Se

EPA Recycling Measurement home page at <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-

cle/recmeas/>. Convert volume collected to weight using conversion factor

at <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/recycle/recmeas/conversn.htm>.

• Work with vendors to track percentages of recycled content, particularly po

sumer recycled content, on their invoices.

• Add a column to current purchasing records to include percentage of recycled 

• Work with vendors to find recycled-content products and indicate quantity a

weight of the products on invoices.

• Look at purchasing records to determine the dollar amount spent on recycl

content products.
containers, you can weigh them, obtain a figure from the

manufacturer, or use the values presented in the table of

default weights on page 11.

To calculate the packaging reduced, obtain the following

information: 

INPUTS:

Weightsingle = Weight of the disposable container previously used. 

Numbermulti = The number of reusable containers purchased by your company. This information should be available from your

purchasing department. 

Weightmulti = Weight of the multiple-use container.

Tripsannual = The number of trips expected to be made

annually. If your business needs have not

changed, this should equal the number of

single-use containers previously purchased

per year. 

Discardedmulti = The number of multiple-use containers

discarded each year, because reusable containers will eventually need to be recycled

or, if not recyclable, thrown away. To estimate this figure, divide the number of

trips made per year (Tripsannual) by the

estimated number of trips each multipleuse container can make in its lifetime

(Reusesmulti). (This information should

be available from the manufacturer or you

can use estimates in the table of default

weights on page 11.) 

tion. Instead, you might need to throw away or r

containers in the final years of their estimated liv

prefer, you can calculate the total waste reduction 

over the entire lifespan of the product rather than 

This calculation also assumes that the manufactu

mated life projection is correct. If the container’s 

shorter or longer than expected, the waste reduct

will be decreased or increased, respectively.

Example

A business purchases 200 reusable plastic cont

weighing 5.5 pounds each. It plans to use these c

to transport calculators an average of 1,000 time

month, for a total of 12,000 trips annually. The 

life of each container is 250 trips. The new conta

replace corrugated containers, weighing 1.5 poun

which were used one time and discarded.

Numbermulti = 200 containers

Reusesmulti = 250 trips/container

Weightsingle = 1.5 lb

Weightmulti = 5.5 lb

Tripsannual = 12,000 trips

Discardedmulti = 48 multiple-use containers 

To calculate the waste reduced annually, the b

estimated the number of reusable containers that 

have to throw away each year:

(12,000 trips)/(250 trips/container) = 

48 containers discarded or recycled per 

The firm used this information to calculate th

reduction in packaging: 

(12,000 trips × 1.5 lb) - (48 containers × 5.

18,000 lb - 264 lb = 17,736 lb 

Discardedmulti = (Tripsannual) / (Reusesmulti)
paper reduction activity.

Sheetsafter = Sheets of paper used after implementing the activity. 

Frequency = Number of times per time period (e.g.,

week or month) the document is 

distributed. 

Distribution = Number of people to whom the document is distributed. 

Weight = Weight of the paper. If you are unable

to actually weigh the paper, you should

be able to estimate the weight using the

table of default weights on page 11.

Reduction 

Factor = Percentage of reduction from the activity: 

(Sheetsbefore – Sheetsafter) / Sheetsbefore

able to reduce the amount of paper used. 

Sheetsbefore = 25 sheets

Sheetsafter = 13 sheets

Distribution = 200 people

Frequency = 10 times per week 

Weight = 1 sheet × (5 lb/500sheets) = 

Reduction 

Factor = (25 sheets - 13 sheets)/25 sh

Weekly paper 

reduction = (25 sheets) × (10/wk) × (20

× (0.01 lb/sheet) × (0.48) = 

Annual paper 

reduction = (240 lb/yr) × (52 wk/yr): 

12,480 lb/yr

Table 3 (on the right) provides default weight

of packaging materials and office products.

Keeping Tabs on Paper Reduction at Janus Funds

Surveys can be very effective measurement tools for widely used materials like office paper. Janus Funds, a financial serv

pany with approximately 1,000 employees, used an electronic survey to gauge the number and performance of paper red

activities companywide. A waste reduction team met with each department and asked for a commitment to three paper re

goals. After the departments began implementing some of their paper reduction ideas, the team circulated the following f

mail asking the departments to indicate the different ways they had reduced paper usage, noting that estimates were acce

Sample Janus Capital Paper Reduction E-mail Survey Form

The questions about whether the department implemented the activity before or after the meeting helped the team determ

activities were a result of their efforts. The form also included a space to suggest ideas that other departments might find h

The form allowed the waste reduction team to measure paper reduction companywide without a substantial amount of eff

Although this form was developed specifically for paper reduction, organizations can use a similar tool to measure reduc

other widely used materials such as file folders and binders. Surveys also are useful for 

assessing the waste prevention activities of vendors and suppliers.

Item # of Pages Frequency Distribution New Method 

2 1/wk YES 1

2 on avg. 3.5/wk YES 7

Started This Before 

the Team Meeting?

Result of the

Team Meeting?

Es

S

Goes to 1 person

from 8 people

Weekly status

report

Now we 

use e-mail

Inter-dept

memos

Goes to 

200 people

Now we use 

double-sided
Step Four: Make

Allowances for

Variables

Once you prepare your initial results, you need to analyze

that information more closely to develop an accurate picture

of waste prevention in your organization. After all, waste

prevention measurement often requires more than just subtracting the baseline waste generation from the organization’s current waste generation. There also are external

variables that might affect the waste generation figures.

These can include:

• Variations in the prices of supplies

• Changes in the size of the workforce

• Seasonal variations in production

• Changes in the type of materials used

These variables can have significant impacts on waste

generation and, depending on how waste generation is

measured, might cause an inaccurate estimate of the

effectiveness of waste prevention activities. On

tion that measured waste generation by examin

chasing records, for example, discovered that i

purchasing agents bought paper based on pape

rather than on actual paper consumption. Basi

generation data only on the amount purchased 

have yielded a less accurate estimate, because m

paper bought was not being used. 

Another business noticed that its overall paper 

tion actually increased during its waste preventio

due to a significant increase in staff. This was no

tion that waste prevention was not taking place. 

firm determined that its waste prevention progra

effective because the paper waste generation rate 

employee decreased as a result of the waste preve

ties. To measure the paper waste prevented, there

business compared the amount of paper that wou

been generated at the paper consumption rate be

reduction activities were initiated with the amou

generated per employee after the activities were i

ed. The difference between those figures provided 

mate of the paper waste prevented.

White Ledger 8.5 × 11 500 sheets per 5 lbs 200,000 sheets per ton

Computer 9.5 × 11 1,650 sheets per 15 lbs 220,000 sheets per ton

Desk Double Pedestal Laminate 72 × 36 29

Desk Double Pedestal Metal 72 × 36 22

Bookcase 2 Shelves Wood 36 wide 5

Bookcase 5 Shelves Wood 36 wide 13

File Cabinet 4 Drawer, Vertical Metal Letter Size 10

Chair Swivel Arm N/A N/A 4

Personal Computer CPU N/A N/A 2

Computer Monitor N/A N/A N/A 3

Source: JC Penney’s, Office Depot, Sears N/A = N

Type of Paper Dimension (in) Sheets Per Pound Sheets Per Ton

Item Type Material Size (in) Avg. W

PAPER OFFICE FURNITURE
For WasteWise

Partners, Being

Green Means

Saving Green

“Management listens when you can convey actions in

terms of profits,” says Terry Bedell of The Clorox Company,

a 1998 WasteWise Program Champion. Demonstrating the

financial impacts of your measurements can go a long way

toward garnering management support for your organization’s waste reduction program. The financial benefits of

waste reduction include the following areas: 

Operational Efficiencies 

An often overlooked benefit of certain waste reduction

activities is cost savings through more streamlined work

practices. A division of WasteWise partner State of Ohio’s

Department of Administrative Services, for example,

replaced a time-consuming manual paper ordering request

system with an online system, recovering more than 470

hours of human resources previously spent making copies

and an additional 520 hours previously spent filing, mailing,

and locating orders in the request process. Similarly, by outlining detailed specifications to suppliers for packaging

reductions, Target Stores, 1998 WasteWise Partner of the

Year, recovered $4.5 million that would have gone toward

manually unwrapping merchandise. To determine if waste

reduction would streamline operations in your organization,

it is helpful to survey employees on the time required for

various activities. For more information on how Target

Stores’ packaging reduction efforts helped streamline operations, see Alameda County, California’s, report Profiting

From Source Reduction: Measuring the Hidden Benefits, listed

on the Resources insert included with this issue, or the

WasteWise Update: A Fresh Look at Packaging (available on

the WasteWise Web site at <www.epa.gov/wastewise>).

Avoided Waste Removal Costs

WasteWise partners also have saved millions of 

reducing the amount of solid waste that contracto

the landfill. Waste removal costs vary depending o

method haulers use to charge clients. Some hauler

weight or volume of material, while others might 

fee or charge per pull. The Oak Hill Semiconduct

Sector facility of WasteWise partner Motorola, In

the number of pulls—and their disposal costs by a

mately $60,000—after the company’s hauling ven

installed pressure gauges on its compactors to mor

determine when pickup was needed. WasteWise p

Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company g

waste and reduced its disposal costs by almost 50 

encouraging its individual locations to establish 1-

up “as needed” contracts with local haulers to prov

frequent opportunities for renegotiation of rates an

For more information on reducing disposal costs, 

publication Pick Up Savings: Adjusting Hauling Ser

Reducing Waste (EPA530-F-96-016), which also is 

the WasteWise Web site at <www.epa.gov/wastewi

Avoided Purchasing Costs 

Many activities, such as reducing paper consu

reusing office supplies and equipment, show up m

avoided purchasing costs than in avoided waste r

costs. Implementing a double-sided copying poli

example, might allow your organization to purch

reams of paper in a given time period. 

Profits From Reselling 

Used materials might still have value; you can 

a recycler, but keep in mind that revenues will var

ably depending on factors such as geographic loca

market price fluctuations. You also might conside

and refurbishing certain products for reuse or for 

See page 14 for illustrations of several waste re

activities and how to calculate the associated cost 

A

er how those pounds of waste reduced translate into c

ings, environmental benefits, and additional hidden profits. 
p, yp y

quantify the environmental savings. 

Use EPA’s WAste Reduction Model

To calculate how your waste reduction measurements

benefit climate change, EPA has developed the WAste

Reduction Model (WARM). WARM calculates greenhouse

gas (GHG) emissions reductions from various waste reduction activities. Greenhouse gases, which contribute to global

climate change, are emitted in nearly every stage of a product’s life cycle, even when the product is in a landfill. The

amount of GHG emitted depends on the waste management activity and the material type. Waste prevention, or

reducing waste at the source, is the best option for reducing

GHG emissions. Recycling is the next best choice for reducing emissions; generally, it takes less energy to make new

products from recycled, rather than virgin, materials.

To calculate the GHG emission reductions of waste reduction activities, WARM uses “emissions factors,” which represent the GHG impact—calculated over the full life cycle of

the material—of handling 1 ton of a given material using a

particular waste management option (i.e., waste prevention,

recycling, landfilling, combusting). The emissions factors are

in terms of metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE), an

internationally recognized unit of measurement that accounts

for different warming potentials among various GHGs such

as methane and carbon dioxide. To put MTCE in perspective, reducing emissions by 1 million MTCE is equivalent to

taking 750,000 cars off the road for 1 year.

WARM is a useful tool for calculating emissions reductions

and provides an important step toward gauging the impacts of

waste reduction programs on climate change. Here’s an example from a WasteWise partner. In 1997, The Procter and

Gamble Company prevented more than 22 million pounds

of corrugated waste by lightweighting secondary and transport

packaging. According to WARM, the company reduced

GHG emissions by more than 9,000 MTCE. To calculate

GHG emission reductions from your organization’s waste

reduction efforts, visit EPA’s Climate Change and Waste Web

site at <www.epa.gov/mswclimate>, where WARM is available

for downloading in Microsoft Excel format.

Accounting for the “Hidden

Benefits

A successful waste reduction program can yiel

benefits for your organization. The following ben

less obvious and more difficult to measure than c

and environmental benefits, but they also can im

bottom line—by increasing productivity and con

product recognition.

Employee Morale 

Having employees suggest their own waste red

ideas can pay off in several ways. First, employee

in the best position to suggest how resources cou

Investing in 

Waste Reduction

While tracking the financial aspects of waste re

tion, you might notice that certain waste reduc

activities add costs to one area of your organiz

while reducing costs in another area. In some

instances, the initial costs might be greater tha

initial savings. Switching to reusable containers

example, might initially cost more than it woul

In the long run, however, the cost savings will 

mulate. You should examine short- versus long

costs just as you would for any business investm
By pull: 

If your organization pays for waste removal by pull, to calculate avoided removal costs, divide the volume of the mater

reduced by the volume of the hauling container itself. Multiply the result by the cost per pull. 

Example: Your hauler charges $30 for every dumpster-load of waste pulled. Your organization’s dumpster holds 10 yd3 of was

organization reduced 400 yd3 (or 40 dumpsters worth) of corrugated waste by switching from boxes to reusable plastic totes. 

AVOIDED PURCHASING COSTS

To calculate annual avoided purchasing costs for office paper, multiply the number of reams not purchased (per unit o

by the price of each ream (there are 500 sheets in a ream). 

Example: Your organization eliminated the need to purchase 40 reams of paper each month by implementing a defau

double-sided copying policy. Each ream of paper costs $3.

PROFITS FROM SELLING RECYCLABLES

To calculate the revenue from sales of a product, simply multiply the price of the product per unit by the number of uni

Example: Your organization sold 300 tons of clear glass jars to a processor. The market price for clear glass at that 

was $30 per ton. 

Disposal cost per unit 

weight or volume

Avoided waste 3 5

removal costs

Weight or volume 

of material

400 yd3 10 yd3/

dumpster

$1,20

Volume of dumpster

Avoided w

4 5

removal 

Volume of 

material reduced

$30/dumpster

Disposal cost 3 per dumpster

40 reams $3/ream $1,4

Cost per ream Avoided 

3

remova

# of reams not 

purchased per 

unit of time

$120

Avoided costs 

5

per month

12 months/ 3 year 5

300 tons of glass $30/ton $9,000

Number of 

units sold

3 Selling price 5 Revenue

of product
y gg

such programs can demonstrate that they “practice what

they preach.” Meanwhile, corporate environmental consciousness is becoming a vital part of success in today’s business world. Consumers and shareholders are increasingly

interested in the environmental impact and practices of the

companies with which they deal. In fact, a survey by Walker

Research, a marketing analysis company, found that 78 percent of the nation’s customers avoid businesses that have an

irresponsible corporate environmental attitude.3 An article

in the quarterly journal of the management consulting firm

McKinsey and Company also suggests that the public takes

environmental benefits into consideration in products and

services. Issues “such as environmental friendliness are proving to be the tie-breaker for otherwise almost indistinguishable products and services.”4

To communicate environmental accomplishments to the

public, you should consistently provide objective, simple

data on the effectiveness of your environmental activities. In

this manner, WasteWise partners are proving and publicizing

their “greenness.” Jim Bosch, with Target Stores, 1998

WasteWise Partner of the Year, notes, “As an engineer, I have

to come up with a lot of measurements [in waste prevention

and waste reduction]. Measuring allows us to establish

benchmarks, which in turn, also help us present data to our

customers and shareholders.” Waste reduction numbers that

can be easily understood by employees and outsiders are

valuable displays of an environmentally positive organizational philosophy.

1 Aluminum Association, Inc.: <www.aluminum.org/

default2.cfm/4/34>.

2 Average household energy consumption (71,500 kcal of energy per day) based on data from Household Energy

Consumption and Expenditures 1993, U.S. Department of

Energy, 1995.

Aluminum can recycling figures (manufacturing one aluminum

can requires approximately 600 kcal using virgin bauxite ore

but only 30 kcal using recycled cans) based on estimates from

Life-Cycle Inventory Report, The Aluminum Association, 1998,

and correspondence with Alcan Aluminum Corporation, 1999.

3 Metcalf, K.R, P.L. Willams, R.J. Minter, and C.M. Ho

“An Assessment of Corporate Environmental Progra

Their Performance Measurement Systems.” Journal 

Environmental Health 58:9,9.

4 Christensen, Paul D. 1995. “The Environment: It’s 

Relax.” The McKinsey Quarterly No. 4,147.

5 Aluminum recycling conversion factor based on est

Household Energy Consumption and Expenditures 

Department of Energy, 1995; Life-Cycle Inventory 

Aluminum Association, 1998, and correspondence 

Aluminum Corporation, 1999. Glass recycling con

tors from Recycling and Buy Recycled Fact Sheets, A

Recycles Day 1998. Steel recycling conversion facto

School and College Magazine, June 1993. 

Note: Additional environmental factoids can be fou

<envirosystemsinc.com/factoidsnew.html>.

• More than 5,400 BTUs of energy are conserv

every pound of steel recycled.

• One ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees.

• 1 million MTCE of GHG reduction

= 750,000 cars off the road for 1 year

= The amount of added annual storage fro

million acres of trees

= The average annual emissions from elect

power use of 600,000 households
1EPA

United States

Environmental Protection Agency

(5306W)

Washington, DC 20460

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use

$300

scale recycling program to measure the amount of a material sent for laundering and reuse. The

company sends plastic gloves, booties, and head coverings to its recycling center, where the

items are automatically weighed and baled for delivery to the cleaners. Twenty-five tons of

these items were weighed at the recycling center in 1997. 

If you have received this publication in error, or want to be removed from the W

Update mailing list, please call the WasteWise Helpline at 800 EPA-WISE (372-94

send a copy of this page, with the mailing label, back to WasteWise at the addre

Many WasteWise publications, including the WasteWise Update, are available ele

on the WasteWise Web site at <www.epa.gov/wastewise>.
▼

Business Guide to

Reducing Solid Waste 

(EPA530-K-92-004)

The U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) developed this guide

to assist businesses, governments,

and other organizations in establishing waste reduction programs.

This guide not only discusses the

development and implementation

of waste reduction programs but

also explains waste assessments

and how to monitor and measure

waste reduction techniques. To

order, contact EPA’s RCRA Hotline

at 800 424-9346.

▼

Buy-Recycled Training Manual 

The Northeast Maryland Waste

Disposal Authority (NMWDA) prepared this manual to help public

and private agencies develop

buy-recycled programs and monitor the progress of those programs. For more information,

contact Richard Keller at

Maryland Environmental Service

at 410 974-7254 or e-mail

<rkell@menv.com>.

▼

Profiting From Source

Reduction: Measuring the

Hidden Benefits 

Alameda County, California, produced this report to demonstrate

source reduction measurement

ordered in hard copy from Tom

Padia at 510 614-1699. The cost

of reproduction is $20.

▼

Source Reduction Now! 

This manual, by the Minnesota

Office of Waste Management, provides information on how to measure product and behavior changes

that prevent waste, along with other

information on how to implement

successful source reduction programs. The manual describes problems and suggests well-tested solutions. For more information, visit

Minnesota’s Office of Waste

Management Web site at

<www.moea.state.mn.us/berc/

srndl.cfm> or call 800 877-6300.

▼

Uncovering Value:

Integrating Environmental

and Financial Performance

This 1998 Aspen Institute report

recommends that companies find

effective ways to measure internal

environmental activities. The

report’s findings indicate that

companies experience a competitive advantage when they integrate environmental considerations into core business strategies.

In fact, the report specifically finds

that financial institutions place a

higher value on organizations

with this type of integrated environmental planning. To download

a copy of the report, go to

<www.aspeninst.org/dir/polpro/

eee/ny/eeenyrep.pdf>.

▼

Accounting Softwa

Application for Pol

Prevention (ASAPP

The Electric Power Rese

Institute (EPRI) develope

accounting software for 

any industry that gener

byproducts or wastes. T

ware allows companies 

both hazardous and no

ardous waste generatio

agement, reduction act

costs. It provides a mea

gather data from multip

ties and operations and 

lyze, graph, compile, a

a variety of waste mana

information. Users can 

waste generation data 

management costs for 

company or facility or f

cific activity. To obtain t

software, contact EPRI a

855-2487.

▼

Business Recycling 

Model 

Green Solutions create

ible model to help org

evaluate solid waste m

ment options by projec

and results for recyclin

waste reduction. To ord

Green Solutions at 360 

9533 for more informa
wastechar/> for the waste characterization database and

<www.ciwmb.ca.gov/rcp/> for the

buy recycled database.

▼

Source Reduction Program

Potential Manual and

ReduceIt Software 

(EPA530-E97-001) 

EPA developed this manual to evaluate the potential impact of various

source reduction options for local

governments’ residential programs.

An organization can calculate the

potential for a particular source

reduction program to reduce waste

using example scenarios and worksheets. In addition to the manual, the

ReduceIt software, an electronic version of the program potential worksheets, helps calculate waste generation data, program potential factors,

and savings estimates. The manual

and software can be obtained

through the RCRA Hotline at 800

424-9346 or downloaded from

EPA’s Web site at <www.epa.gov/

epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/reduceit/

index.htm>.

▼

WasteNot System 

This tracking software, created by 

Ecology Action, helps organizations conduct waste assessments

and measurements. It serves as a

guide for collecting relevant information and creates detailed

reports showing successful waste

reduction efforts. For more information, contact Ecology Action at

waste management practices

including source reduction, recycling, combustion, composting,

and landfilling. WARM can be

downloaded from EPA’s Web site

at <www.epa.gov/mswclimate>.

▼

California Integrated Waste

Management Board Web Site 

www.ciwmb.ca.gov/

The CIWMB Web site contains a

wealth of waste reduction information, including two pages focused

on measurement. For information

on measuring waste streams and

determining base-year waste generation and adjustment methods,

go to <www.ciwmb.ca.gov/

lgtools/measure/>. For the fact

sheet, Measuring the Success of

Office Paper Reduction Efforts,

which helps organizations measure

the impact of office paper reduction

activities and determine cost savings, go to <www.ciwmb.ca.gov/

bizwaste/officepaper/measure.htm>.

▼

Environmental Account

Project Web Site

www.epa.gov/opptintr/ac

Developed by EPA, this We

is intended to encourage a

motivate businesses to und

stand the full spectrum of t

environmental costs and in

these costs into their decisio

making. A list of helpful res

is available, including both 

and non-EPA publications, 

information sources on env

mental accounting. 

▼

Recycling Measuremen

Web Site 

www.epa.gov/epaoswer/

non-hw/recycle/recmeas

This EPA Web site provides 

standard methodology for 

and local governments to u

when measuring recycling 

The site includes several re

measurement documents,

detailed instructions, works

sample survey forms, plann

checklists, helpful tips, a re

mended timeline for develo

a measurement program, a

standard volume-to-weight 

version factors. 

W e b 

S i t e s