Waste Stream Data: The First Step Toward Smarter Recycling
When it comes to evaluating your company’s waste stream for recycling or reuse, the first step is always the same—data gathering. Much like a doctor needs a patient’s vitals before making a diagnosis, anyone hoping to improve their facility’s waste practices needs a clear picture of what’s going into the dumpster, how often, and in what volume. Whether you’re already using a software platform or still operating manually, there’s a straightforward path to gathering this essential information.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through a practical, no-frills approach to collecting the data needed to make informed recycling decisions—without hiring consultants or launching a full-scale waste audit.
Start with Your Waste Hauler Invoices
If your company uses a waste tracking software—great! That makes this job much easier. But if you don’t, don’t worry. The good news is that your waste hauler’s invoices often contain most of the information you need.
Here’s what to look for:
Container size (e.g., 8-yard front load, 40-yard roll-off, 30-yard compactor)
Frequency of pickups (e.g., 3x per week, weekly, monthly)
Number of containers and their locations on-site
Tonnage per pickup, if available (usually only for roll-offs and compactors)
This data helps establish a rough baseline for your overall landfill waste footprint. While front load containers often don’t report weights, you can still calculate frequency and capacity to estimate volume.
Estimate the Composition of Your Waste
Once you know how much waste is leaving your facility, the next step is figuring out what’s in it. You don’t need lab coats and scales to get started—ballpark estimates are perfectly fine at this stage.
Here’s how to begin:
List your major waste streams. Examples might include cardboard, paper, plastic film, pallets, mixed plastics, or production scrap.
Estimate proportions by weight or volume. For example, “Cardboard: 30%, Shrink Wrap: 15%, Food Waste: 10%, Trash: 45%.”
These are just rough figures, and they don’t need to be perfect. The goal is to identify your most prominent waste types and flag any high-volume streams for closer attention.
Perform a Basic Waste Segregation Test
If you’re unsure about your estimates—or just want to validate them—you can run a simple in-house test.
Here’s how:
Over the course of one week, separate a specific material stream you want to evaluate (e.g., plastic film or paper).
Use any container available on-site (super sacks, Gaylords, crates, or boxes) to store that stream separately.
At the end of the week, weigh or estimate the volume of what you’ve collected.
Even if your company isn’t ready for a full-blown waste audit, this type of high-level audit gives you valuable insights. It highlights the "low hanging fruit"—materials that exist in sufficient quantity to warrant recycling, especially if they are consistent in volume and quality.
Why Volume Matters for Recycling
As mentioned in a previous blog, volume plays a critical role in the recyclability of any material. A company producing 500 pounds of plastic per year likely won’t find it economically viable to recycle. But 20,000+ pounds annually? That opens up new options for buyers and processors.
By collecting even high-level data, you can identify which waste streams might be valuable or at least more cost-effective to divert from landfill. In many cases, the more material you can aggregate, the more attractive it becomes to recyclers and reusers—reducing your disposal costs and potentially generating revenue or rebates.
Next Steps: From High-Level Audit to Long-Term Strategy
This process is not meant to replace a comprehensive waste audit or zero-waste certification effort. Instead, think of it as a launch pad—a fast, simple way to discover where you might be leaving money on the table or creating unnecessary environmental impact.
If your company decides to go deeper, a detailed waste audit can follow. But in the meantime, this method gives you a clear picture of your largest, most recyclable waste streams, and that's the best place to start.
Need Help Interpreting the Data?
At Waste Optima, we specialize in helping manufacturers and facilities make sense of their waste streams and identify practical recycling solutions. We don’t sell balers, compactors, or hauling services—we focus entirely on landfill diversion strategy and helping you turn your waste into a resource.
If you’ve started gathering data but aren’t sure what to do next, reach out. We’d be glad to walk through your numbers and recommend actionable next steps.
