Waste Characterization

Commercial Sector: Estimated Solid Waste Generation and Disposal Rates

NOTE: More recent estimates for waste disposal, diversion, and generation rates are available for a limited number of business groups. These can be found in Table 2 of CalRecycle's 2006 Waste Disposal and Diversion Findings for Selected Industry Groups.

The data on this page is not official CalRecycle data; please read our disclaimer and background information.

Also see listings for Industrial / Institutional / Residential / Service establishments.

Waste Generation Source	Gen. Rate	Units of Measure	Source Date	Source	Notes
Commercial	10.53	lb/employee/day	2006	City of Los Angeles CEQA Thresholds Guide: Your Resource for Preparing CEQA Analyses in Los Angeles	Does not include generation of construction debris
Commercial	5	lb/1000 sq ft /day	Aug. 1992	Co. of Los Angeles Dept. of Regional Planning, Vesting Tentative Tract No. 47905, etc.	EIR cites City of LA Dept. of City Planning doc "EIR Manual for Private Projects" as source
Commercial	13	lb/1000 sq ft /day	Apr. 1993	Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for South Gate Commercial Corridors Redevelopment Project	EIR cites CIWMB Resource Manual, May 1989
Commercial	25	lb/gross sq ft /day	Jan. 1996	Draft Program EIR for Rye Canyon Business Part, Santa Clarita	EIR cites SWANA Tech. Bull. 85-6; Recovery Sciences, 1987; and Santa Clarita SRRE, 1990
Commercial retail	0.046	lb/sq ft/day	n/a	Draft EIR for the Central Commercial Redevelopment Project (Monterey Park Redevelopment Agency)	EIR cites Athens Disposal Co. and GRC Redevel. Consultants, 1992 as source
Commercial retail	0.006	lb/sq ft/day	Dec. 1991	Draft EIR for North Hills Development (Santa Clarita)	EIR cites City of LA Bureau of Solid Waste, 1989, as source
Commercial retail	2.5	lb/1000 sq ft /day	Apr. 1992	Stevenson Ranch Draft EIR (Phase IV) , LA County	EIR cites source as Ultrasystems
Office	6	lb/1000 sq ft /day	Apr. 1992	Stevenson Ranch Draft EIR (Phase IV) , LA County	EIR cites source as Ultrasystems
Office	0.006	lb/sq ft/day	Dec. 1991	Draft EIR for North Hills Development (Santa Clarita)	EIR cites City of LA Bureau of Solid Waste, 1989, as source
Office	100	lb/gross sq ft /day	Jan. 1996	Draft Program EIR for Rye Canyon Business Park, Santa Clarita	EIR cites SWANA Tech. Bull. 85-6; Recovery Sciences, 1987; and Santa Clarita SRRE, 1990
Office	1.24	lb/employee /day	Jul. 1993	Final Report: 1992 Washington State Waste Characterization Study, Volume 3: Generator Survey Approach (Washington State Department of Ecology)
Offices	11.5	lb./100 sq ft /daylb/employee /day	May 1997	Guide to Solid Waste and Recycling Plans for Development Projects (Santa Barbara County Public Works Department)	Cites SWANA Tech. Bull. 85-6; Recovery Sciences, 1987; and Matrix Mgmt Group, "Best Management Practices Analysis for Solid Waste"
Professional office	0.084	lb/sq ft/day	n/a	Draft EIR for the Central Commercial Redevelopment Project and the Freeway ... (Monterey Park Redevel. Agency)	EIR cites Athens Disposal Co. and GRC Redevel. Consultants, 1992 as source
Commercial retail (dry goods)	4.75	lb/emp/day	Jul. 1993	Final Report: 1992 Washington State Waste Characterization Study: Volume 3: Generator Survey Approach (Washington State Department of Ecology)
Auto dealer and service station	0.9	lb/100 sq ft/day	May 1997	Guide to Solid Waste and Recycling Plans for Development Projects (Santa Barbara County Public Works Department)	Cites SWANA Tech. Bull. 85-6; Recovery Sciences, 1987; and Matrix Mgmt Group, "Best Management Practices Analysis for Solid Waste"
Department store	3.12	lb/100 sq ft/day	May 1997	Guide to Solid Waste and Recycling Plans for Development Projects (Santa Barbara County Public Works Department)	Cites SWANA Tech. Bull. 85-6; Recovery Sciences, 1987; and Matrix Mgmt Group, "Best Management Practices Analysis for Solid Waste"
Shopping center	2.5	lb/100 sq ft/day	May 1997	Guide to Solid Waste and Recycling Plans for Development Projects (Santa Barbara County Public Works Department)	Cites SWANA Tech. Bull. 85-6; Recovery Sciences, 1987; and Matrix Mgmt Group, "Best Management Practices Analysis for Solid Waste"
Supermarket	3.12	lb/100 sq ft/day	May 1997	Guide to Solid Waste and Recycling Plans for Development Projects (Santa Barbara County Public Works Department)	Cites SWANA Tech. Bull. 85-6; Recovery Sciences, 1987; and Matrix Mgmt Group, "Best Management Practices Analysis for Solid Waste"

CalRecycle does not officially endorse any of the waste generation rates in the preceding table, and cannot validate their accuracy. However, they may be useful in providing a general level of information for planning purposes.

The table contains information extracted from various sources, which are cited. Please note that several of the documents listed were developed by city or county planning or environmental departments. Your city or county planning or environmental agency may be a source of information for a local project.

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