Waste Stream Measurement and Analysis

Program News...

The 2010 Electronic Annual Report is now available and is due August 1, 2011. 2010 Per Capita Disposal Rate is 4.5 pounds per person per day.

The Integrated Waste Management Act requires jurisdictions to divert 50 percent of their waste in the year 2000. Jurisdictions select and implement the combination of waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and composting programs that best meet the needs of their community while achieving the diversion requirements of the Act. SB 1016, Wiggins, Chapter 343, Statutes of 2008 passed in 2008, introduced a per capita disposal measurement system that measures the 50 percent diversion requirement using a disposal measurement equivalent.

Waste stream information was designed for solid waste planners, but is useful to haulers, recyclers, nonprofit groups, and business owners and managers. These tools can help you analyze your waste stream, realize profit opportunities in other's wastes, and determine the diversion programs that will most effectively help your local government meet its 50 percent goal.

Recommendations for Correcting Base-Year and/or Reporting-Year Inaccuracies Basics Data Tools Disposal Reporting System Diversion Program System in LoGIC

Diversion Rate Measurement System New City Incorporation Solid Waste Characterization Solid Waste System Flow Chart Statewide Diversion and Disposal Rates

Recommendations for Correcting Base-Year and/or Reporting-Year Inaccuracies: This report provides guidelines for local government officials dealing with measurement accuracy and is the basis for the measurement accuracy policy since 1997.

Basics: What is the per capita disposal measurement system, and how does that affect Diversion Rates? How does Disposal Reporting affect per capita disposal? Here we present the fundamentals of understanding disposal, diversion, the Integrated Waste Management Act and SB 1016, the per Capita Disposal Measurement System.

Data Tools: CalRecycle provides a number of tools and information to assist local government (as well as businesses) to reduce disposal, conserve resources, and help California meet its waste reduction goals.

Disposal Reporting System. Knowing how much garbage your community produces, and where that trash is disposed, provides clues to important waste flow questions. Hiding within your community's waste disposal records are major seasonal variations, subtle long-term trends, even hidden disposal sources presenting untapped revenue for recyclers.

Diversion Program System in LoGIC. Knowing what other communities are doing to increase diversion helps community leaders make logical choices when selecting new diversion programs. The Diversion Program System shows what programs each jurisdiction selected and implemented, whether those programs still operate, and if not, why. Business owners and the general public can also use the Diversion Program System to review local waste reduction options.

Diversion Rate Measurement. Under the new disposal measurement system jurisdictions’ diversion rates will no longer be calculated by CalRecycle. However, to assist stakeholders that may need to calculate their diversion rate the blank calculator with links to the Department of Finance and the Employment Development Department will be provided on the CalRecycle website on each jurisdictions default adjustment factors webpage.

A jurisdiction can also check its diversion rate progress through 2006 by searching our Countywide, Regionwide, and Statewide Jurisdiction Diversion Progress Report page.

New City Incorporation: When a city incorporates, there are diversion rate measurement ramifications for both the new jurisdiction and the affected county. This document explores that issue.

Solid Waste Characterization. Knowing what portion of a jurisdiction's waste stream is paper, glass, green waste, food waste, etc. helps local officials pinpoint new programs offering the greatest disposal reductions per dollar spent. CalRecycle's Waste Characterization database can be used to model the commercial and residential waste streams for jurisdictions in California. It contains information on the typical materials disposed by many types of businesses, as well as by single-family and multi-family residences. CalRecycle has also conducted several waste characterization studies on the statewide waste stream as well as targeted portions such as construction and demolition waste and waste from business generators.

Solid Waste System Flow Chart: This chart provides a visual representation of the solid waste system.

Statewide Diversion and Disposal Rates. Here you will find statewide diversion rates, statewide disposal and diversion tonnages, graphs of long-term trends and typical disposal rates for residential and non-residential populations. Diversion rates for individual communities are found in The Diversion Program Module in LoGIC.

Where to Go for Help?

If you have additional questions about these topics, please contact Local Assistance and Market Development representatives at (916) 341-6199.