Waste data can help you do more than monitor daily operations. It can also be used to report performance, show improvements over time, and demonstrate the impact of actions taken across your building or portfolio.
Start by focusing on a few key metrics:
- Recycling rate
Shows how much waste is being sorted for recycling - General waste
Helps identify whether too much waste is still going to non-recyclable streams - Total waste
Shows the overall waste volume and can help track reduction efforts over time - Waste streams
Helps explain how waste is distributed across different categories
These metrics can be used to support internal reporting, communication with building managers/owners, and wider sustainability reporting.
To demonstrate impact, compare performance over time:
- Show before and after results following operational changes
- Track whether recycling rates improve after communication or infrastructure updates
- Monitor whether general waste decreases over time
- Highlight changes at building level or across a portfolio
This makes it easier to connect actions to measurable results.
Waste data can also support sustainability/ESG reporting by providing clear and structured information about waste performance. It can help show progress, support sustainability goals, and make reporting more transparent.
A good approach is to combine data, actions taken, and results achieved. This makes it easier to explain what has improved and why it matters.
