Circular Economy, Recycling & Remanufacturing worked example

Landfill Avoidance Savings at 99% share of diverted material accepted by recycler: a worked example

What does the result look like when share of diverted material accepted by recycler reaches 99%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. a team needs to justify diversion projects, container changes, or recycling outlet contracts for a scrap stream, site, or reporting period

The inputs for this scenario

  • Waste diverted from landfill: 42,000 kg (unchanged)
  • Avoided landfill tipping and hauling cost: 0.11 $ / kg (unchanged)
  • Share of diverted material accepted by recycler: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 86)
  • Fixed sorting, container, or program cost to subtract: 1,300 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Gross avoided landfill cost = waste diverted from landfill × avoided landfill and hauling cost × diverted material accepted by reuse or recycling outlet) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 5,874 net landfill avoidance savings for net landfill avoidance savings, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.14 $ / piece for savings per kg diverted.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4,574 $ for gross avoided landfill cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,300 $ for fixed sorting, container, or recycling program cost to subtract.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where share of diverted material accepted by recycler sits at 86% and the headline result is 5,273 net landfill avoidance savings, this scenario comes in 11.39% above the baseline at 5,874 net landfill avoidance savings.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when share of diverted material accepted by recycler is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It nets program cost against gross avoidance but does not include any revenue from selling recovered material — add that separately to see the full economic picture.

Results at a glance

  • Net landfill avoidance savings: 5,874 net landfill avoidance savings (headline result)
  • Savings per kg diverted: 0.14 $ / piece
  • Gross avoided landfill cost: 4,574 $
  • Fixed sorting, container, or recycling program cost to subtract: 1,300 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Landfill Avoidance Savings calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.