Recycling Diversion Rate Calculator

Work out recycling diversion rate instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Recycling Diversion Rate Calculator

Recycling rate should be measured on material actually reprocessed, not collected, because 5-15% of kerbside recyclate is rejected as contamination at the sorting facility. Diversion from landfill adds energy recovery, which counts as recovery rather than recycling under most waste hierarchies.

Formulas

Recycling rate

Rate % = collected recyclate x (1 - reject rate) x 100 / total waste

Diversion

Diversion % = (recycled + energy recovery) x 100 / total waste

Worked example

With the default values below, Recycling Diversion Rate Calculator returns Recycling Rate of 38.640%. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Total Waste Generatedminimum 0 tonnes/year: 100,000 tonnes/year
Recycled And Compostedminimum 0 tonnes/year: 42,000 tonnes/year
Sent To Energy Recoveryminimum 0 tonnes/year: 35,000 tonnes/year
Reject Rate At Reprocessingaccepts 0–50 %: 8 %

Results

Recycling Rate: 38.640%
Diversion From Landfill: 73.640%
Tonnage Landfilled: 26,360.0
Tonnage Rejected At Reprocessing: 3,360.0

Step by step

1Values used
2Recycling rate
3Diversion
4Recycling Rate= 38.640
5Diversion From Landfill= 73.640
6Tonnage Landfilled= 26,360.0
7Tonnage Rejected At Reprocessing= 3,360.0

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why measure at reprocessing rather than collection?

Because contaminated material collected as recycling but rejected at the sorting plant ends up in landfill or incineration. Reporting collected tonnage overstates genuine performance.

Does energy recovery count as recycling?

No. Under the waste hierarchy recycling ranks above energy recovery, and statutory recycling targets exclude it. Diversion and recycling are distinct metrics that must not be conflated.