How do I use waste data to optimise costs?

Waste data can help you understand where service charges come from and where there is potential to reduce them. By focusing on a few key areas, you can identify inefficiencies and take targeted action.

Here are some practical ways to use waste data to optimise costs:

• Reduce the total amount of waste generated
  If your building produces less waste overall, waste management costs may also decrease
• Reduce general waste volumes
  General waste is often one of the most expensive waste streams
• Improve sorting
  Better sorting can help move waste into the correct streams and reduce unnecessary costs
• Compare areas
  If some areas generate more general waste than others, this may indicate opportunities to improve setup, communication, or tenant behaviour

You can also use your data to track the impact of changes:

• Compare costs before and after improving sorting
• Monitor whether general waste decreases over time
• Track changes in waste streams after adjusting infrastructure or communication

Using cost estimates in Carrot Insight

You can make your analysis more precise by adding cost estimates per waste stream in Carrot Insight.

You can find this under:
Settings → Customisation → Waste streams

Scroll down to the Waste streams section and enter the estimated cost per kg for each waste stream. Once added, cost estimates can be used in Reporting in both Carrot Insight and Carrot for Tenants.

When adding cost estimates, keep in mind:

• Use realistic values
  Base the numbers on your actual waste contracts where possible
• Check the currency
  Make sure the values match the currency set in your system
• Compare between waste streams
  This makes it easier to see which waste types drive the highest costs
• Start simple
  Even rough estimates can give useful insights and help prioritise actions

Using cost data together with waste volumes makes it easier to identify where changes will have the biggest financial impact.