Waste Diversion Operations Kit (Beyond Reporting)

Move from measuring waste to changing it: reduce contamination, improve diversion, and create repeatable building operations

Run the OperationGuide90 min

What you'll accomplish

  • Build an operational waste program (not just an emissions estimate)
  • Reduce contamination and increase diversion with simple interventions
  • Improve vendor accountability (hauler reporting, pickups, stream clarity)
  • Create a tenant/occupant engagement system that scales
  • Track KPIs that matter and show progress over time

Who this is for

  • •Property/facilities teams managing day-to-day waste operations
  • •Sustainability teams that need waste improvements beyond reporting
  • •Procurement teams negotiating waste contracts and SLAs
  • •Anyone frustrated by "recycling exists but doesn't work"

When to use this

Use this when:

  • •contamination is high and diversion is unclear
  • •waste vendor reports are inconsistent or missing
  • •tenant behavior makes streams ineffective
  • •you want measurable operational improvement in 90 days

Prerequisites

  • •Cat 5 Starter Kit: Waste (baseline dataset)
  • •Vendor Scorecard + QBR Kit (for vendor accountability)
  • •SLA Starter Pack (optional for waste vendor performance requirements)

Related resources:

Quick start (90 minutes)

Pick one building:

  • Create a Waste Stream Map (Template 1)
  • Run a Waste Walk Audit (Template 2)
  • Fix top 3 signage/bin issues immediately
  • Request hauler tonnage by stream + contamination notes (Template 4)
  • Set 3 KPIs and review monthly (Template 6)

Waste diversion in plain English

Waste diversion improves when:

  • •streams are simple and consistent
  • •signage is clear and placed where decisions happen
  • •bins match behavior (not "wishcycling")
  • •vendors report and service consistently
  • •there is a cadence to inspect and fix

Beginner rule: If bins are confusing, people will throw everything in landfill.

Step-by-step

Step 1 — Map your streams (what exists today)

At minimum:

  • •landfill
  • •recycling
  • •organics (if available)

Document where bins are:

  • •common areas
  • •loading dock
  • •tenant spaces (if applicable)

Step 2 — Run a "waste walk" audit

Look for:

  • •missing or confusing signage
  • •bins placed far apart (forces contamination)
  • •inconsistent bin colors/types
  • •overflow events (drives contamination)
  • •tenant-specific issues (food, packaging, mixed waste)

Step 3 — Fix the easy physical issues first

Immediate fixes:

  • •standardize signage language and visuals
  • •co-locate bins (landfill + recycling together)
  • •remove ambiguous streams if not supported
  • •adjust pickup frequency if overflow happens

Step 4 — Improve vendor reporting and accountability

Require:

  • •tonnage by stream by month
  • •contamination notes (if available)
  • •missed pickups and issue logs

Step 5 — Tenant/occupant engagement

Keep it simple:

  • •"what goes where" one-pager
  • •periodic reminders
  • •targeted interventions for high-contamination tenants/areas

Step 6 — Track KPIs and iterate monthly

KPIs that matter:

  • •diversion rate (if calculated)
  • •contamination incidents (count)
  • •overflow incidents (count)
  • •tons by stream trend (if available)
  • •data completeness (% months with tonnage by stream)

Templates

Template 1 — Waste Stream Map

Waste Stream Map

| Area | Landfill bin location | Recycling bin location | Organics bin location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|

Template 2 — Waste Walk Audit Checklist

Waste Walk Audit Checklist

Waste Walk Audit Checklist

Bins and placement
- Landfill and recycling co-located
- Bins not overflowing
- Bins labeled clearly at point of use
- Consistent bin types/colors

Signage
- Simple "what goes where"
- No conflicting signs
- Signs placed where decisions happen

Operations
- Pickups occur as scheduled
- Contamination issues observed (where and why)
- Tenants/occupants aware of rules (Y/N)

Template 3 — Action Log

Action Log

| Building | Issue | Root cause | Fix | Owner | Due date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Template 4 — Hauler Reporting Request Email

Hauler Reporting Request Email

Subject: Request: monthly waste tonnage by stream + service issues — [Building], [Period]

Hi [Name],
For building operations, please provide for [period]:
- tonnage by stream (landfill/recycling/organics)
- any contamination notes or rejected loads (if available)
- missed pickups or service issues

PDF report or CSV export is fine.
Thanks,
[Name]

Template 5 — Waste Vendor SLA Concepts (starter)

Waste Vendor SLA Concepts

Waste Vendor SLA Concepts (Starter)

- Pickup completion rate
- Missed pickup response time
- Monthly reporting delivered by [date]
- Tonnage by stream provided
- Contamination incidents documented (if available)

Template 6 — KPI Dashboard

KPI Dashboard

| Month | Landfill tons | Recycling tons | Organics tons | Diversion rate (if used) | Overflow incidents | Contamination incidents | Notes |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|---|

Template 7 — Tenant/Occupant One-Pager

Waste Sorting One-Pager

Waste Sorting One-Pager (Starter)

Landfill:
- examples

Recycling:
- examples

Organics (if applicable):
- examples

Rules:
- keep it simple
- when in doubt: [choose your policy]
Support contact:

Common pitfalls

  • Too many streams (confusion increases contamination)
  • Signage is inconsistent across floors/areas
  • Bins not co-located (people choose convenience)
  • No feedback loop (audits not repeated)
  • Vendor reporting not enforced (data stays missing)

Change log

v1.0 (2026-01): Latest release