New tool to measure Zero Waste Status
The Zerowasteometer quantifies an organisation’s various forms of waste management as either a positive figure (associated with reuse and recycling processes) or a negative (landfill and incineration/energy from waste). Their performance is then displayed on an easy-to-understand tachometer and dashboard. The objective is to support companies in working towards the Zero Waste International Alliance’s target of more than 90% of all discarded resources to be diverted from landfill and incineration.
As the tool is normalised and uses the same indices irrespective of volume, users can input and aggregate data for multiple sites and better understand performance over their entire estate. In doing so, they can identify areas of opportunity or poor performance and develop a clear roadmap with measurement points to ensure progress.
This approach supports the legal requirements for environmental reporting that came into effect on 1st April 2019 under Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR), and supports recommendations made by The Taskforce for Climate and Financial Disclosure (TCFD). For qualifying organisations, the obligations require them to measure their waste so that it can be reduced and managed more sustainably in line with reducing carbon emissions. This means using the Waste Hierarchy to measure types of wastes, volumes being produced, their disposal routes and end destinations.
The Zerowasteometer also provides users with a projection on their current climate change impact, with actions and a proposed trajectory indication based on the figures entered. If all waste is recycled, this results in a +1°C trajectory and conversely, if everything is either burnt or buried a +3°C path is observed. Middle of the road performance is regarded as between 2 and 2.5 degrees. Access to this information and a broader climate change context can play an important role in elevating strategic discussions relating to waste, circular economy principles and resources up the corporate agenda.
In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, improved resource efficiency is also proven to realise a significant financial gain with potential cost savings that can equate to 1% of turnover through proven waste minimisation initiatives.
The Reconomy Zerowasteometer is available free to use on the Reconomy website. Once users have input their data, a report will be available detailing some specific performance improvement recommendations for their organisation. This is the first step on the journey towards Net Zero by 2050.