Free Waste Diversion Rate calculator with clear step-by-step results.
Diversion rate is the share of waste kept out of landfill, but whether energy recovery counts as diversion is a genuine definitional dispute - some standards include it and others treat incineration as disposal. The toggle lets you report both, and the separate recycling rate is the figure that is comparable across definitions.
Diversion rate
Rate % = (recycled + composted + reused + optionally energy recovery) / total waste x 100
Recycling rate
Rate % = (recycled + composted) / total waste x 100
It depends on the standard. Zero-waste certifications generally exclude it; many municipal reporting frameworks include it. Always state which definition you used.
Because it is unambiguous. A high diversion rate driven entirely by incineration tells a very different story from one driven by material recovery.