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Calcimator

Recycling Rate Calculator

Calculate waste diversion rate from stream-by-stream composition data including recycling and composting.

Inputs

tons/year
tons/year
tons/year
tons/year
tons/year
tons/year
tons/year

Results

Diversion Rate

36%

Performance Rating

Average

Total Diverted3,600 tons
Total Landfilled6,400 tons
Recyclables Revenue$260,500.00
Landfill Cost Savings$198,000.00
Total Economic Benefit$458,500.00
CO₂e Avoided7,410 tons
Energy Saved35,690 million BTU
Metals Rate4%
Glass Rate2%
Compost Rate8%
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Total Waste Generated (tons/year) for your facility, municipality, or program.
  2. Input tons/year recycled for each material stream: Paper & Cardboard, Plastics, Metals, and Glass.
  3. Add Organics Composted (tons/year) and Other Diverted Materials to capture all diversion pathways.
  4. Review Diversion Rate (%) to see your overall performance against common targets (50% for many jurisdictions, 75%+ for zero-waste goals).
  5. Check Performance Rating to benchmark your program against national and regional peers.
  6. Use the breakdown chart to identify which material streams offer the greatest opportunity for improvement.

How the result changes with Total Waste Generated

Total Waste GeneratedDiversion RatePerformance Rating
1,000,0010.4%Poor (Significant Improvement Needed)
3,500,0010.1%Poor (Significant Improvement Needed)
6,500,0000.1%Poor (Significant Improvement Needed)
9,000,0000%Poor (Significant Improvement Needed)

What each input means

Total Waste Generated
Total municipal solid waste generated annually.
Paper & Cardboard Recycled
Tons of paper and cardboard recycled annually.
Plastics Recycled
Tons of plastics recycled annually.
Metals Recycled
Tons of metals (aluminum, steel, etc.) recycled annually.
Glass Recycled
Tons of glass recycled annually.
Organics Composted
Tons of food waste and yard waste composted annually.
Other Diverted Materials
Other diverted materials (textiles, electronics, C&D debris).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Total Waste Generated = 10000, Paper & Cardboard Recycled = 1500, Plastics Recycled = 500, Metals Recycled = 400 = 7 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Diversion Rate
    Diversion Rate
    36 = 36
  3. Calculate Performance Rating
    Average = Average
  4. Calculate Total Diverted
    Total Diverted
    3600 = 3600
  5. Calculate Total Landfilled
    Total Landfilled
    6400 = 6400

Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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