Waste Disposal Rates for Business Types

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 (PDF, 485 KB) of CalRecycle's 2006 Waste Disposal and Diversion Findings for Selected Industry Groups.

The table below contains the values for waste disposal rates for the 39 business groupings in the solid waste characterization database, as well as the typical density of waste disposed by each grouping. (Residential disposal rates are on a separate page.)

Each business type has its own disposal rate--restaurants dispose different amounts from offices, for example. Also, the larger the business, the more waste it usually disposes. The number of employees can be used to indicate business size. Number of employees is used in the disposal characterization database to develop waste disposal rates for businesses. The assumption of the database is that businesses of a certain type (say restaurants) dispose similar wastes at similar rates (per employee), regardless of the location or size of the business. The data was developed as part of the 1999 Statewide Waste Characterization Study. Disposal rates are affected by a number of factors. Thus, these rates should only be used for planning purposes to aid in the design and development of solid waste programs. They should not be used as a measurement tool--see data limitations for more information.

During the 1999 Statewide Waste Characterization Study, 14 of the 39 separate industry groups were combined into a "lumped group" for sampling purposes. This was possible because each of these groups contributes relatively little to the state's waste stream. Together, their contribution is less than 5 percent. As a result, the disposal rate estimates for each of these groups is based on a limited number of samples. This limitation should be considered when using the data. The industries included in the "lumped group" are identified by an asterisk.

(SIC stands for Standard Industrial Classification.)

Business SIC Grouping Number	Business SIC Grouping Name	Disposal Rate tons/employees /year	Waste Density pounds/cubic yard
1*	Agriculture / Fisheries	0.9	107
2*	Forestry	0.2	100
3*	Mining	1.8	100
4	Construction Companies	3.0	116
5	Manufacturing--Food / Kindred	1.6	74
6*	Manufacturing--Apparel / Textile	0.9	103
7	Manufacturing--Lumber and Wood Products	3.1	134
8*	Manufacturing--Furniture / Fixtures	2.4	145
9*	Manufacturing--Paper / Allied	0.6	100
10	Manufacturing--Printing / Publishing	0.8	88
11*	Manufacturing--Chemical / Allied	0.9	135
12*	Manufacturing--Primary / Fabricated Metal	0.7	122
13	Manufacturing--Industrial Machinery	0.2	69
14	Manufacturing--Electronic Equipment	0.5	63
15	Manufacturing--Transportation Equipment	0.4	76
16*	Manufacturing--Instruments / Related	1.2	121
17	Manufacturing--Other	3.1	122
18	Trucking and Warehousing	1.9	95
19*	Transportation--Air	1.0	82
20*	Communications	1.5	98
21*	Utilities	0.3	73
22	Transportation--Other	1.3	73
23	Wholesale Trade--Durable Goods	0.9	65
24	Wholesale Trade--Nondurable Goods	0.9	87
25	Retail Trade--Building Material and Garden	3.3	121
26*	Retail Trade--General Merchandise Stores	0.3	87
27	Retail Trade--Food Store	2.9	84
28	Retail Trade--Automotive Dealers & Service Station	0.6	84
29	Retail Trade--Restaurants	3.1	109
30	Retail Trade--Other	1.9	72
31	Finance / Insurance / Real Estate / Legal	0.3	88
32	Services--Hotels / Lodging	2.1	97
33	Services--Business Services	1.7	87
34*	Services--Motion Pictures	1.1	169
35	Services--Medical / Health	1.5	75
36	Services--Education	0.8	73
37	Services--Other Professional	1.2	104
38	Services--Other Misc.	0.9	90
39	Public Administration	0.4	89

Also, please see average or estimated waste generation rates for businesses and residences. (Different from disposal rates.)

Last updated: April 18, 2013

Solid Waste Characterization, http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/WasteChar/
Nancy Carr: Nancy.Carr@calrecycle.ca.gov (916) 341-6216