How do you calculate landfill diversion rate?

Divide the waste diverted from landfill by the total waste generated and multiply by 100. With 760 tons diverted out of 950 total, the diversion rate is 80%.

What is a good landfill diversion rate?

Above 90% is generally considered the threshold for zero-waste-to-landfill recognition, with 50-70% typical for facilities early in a program. At 80%, the example plant is performing well but is 10 points short of a 90% target.

What counts as diverted waste?

Materials recycled, reused, composted, or sent to anaerobic digestion are usually counted. Waste-to-energy is sometimes included and sometimes excluded depending on the standard, so confirm your program's rules before logging it as diverted.

Diversion rate vs. recycling rate: what's the difference?

Recycling rate counts only material recycling. Diversion rate is broader, adding reuse, composting, and often energy recovery, so a facility's diversion rate is usually higher than its recycling rate alone.

How do I close the gap to my diversion target?

Target the largest landfilled streams first. In the example, closing a 10-point gap on 950 tons means diverting roughly 95 more tons annually — often achievable by adding source separation for film plastics, wood, or organics.

Does waste-to-energy count toward zero waste to landfill?

It depends on the standard. TRUE certification caps energy recovery, while a plant's own internal definition may count it fully. This calculator counts whatever you place in the diverted figure, so be consistent with your reporting framework.

Energy & Sustainability calculator

Landfill Diversion Rate Calculator

Landfill Diversion Rate measures the share of a facility's waste that is kept out of landfill through recycling, reuse, composting, or energy recovery. EHS and sustainability leaders track it as the headline metric behind zero-waste-to-landfill programs and TRUE or ISO 14001 certifications. It is also a common customer scorecard item, since brands increasingly audit their suppliers' waste performance. By comparing your actual rate against a target, this calculator shows in plain percentage points how far you have left to go.

What this calculator does

Calculate landfill diversion rate from diverted waste, total generated waste, and diversion target.
an EHS or sustainability manager needs to track landfill diversion against a target
It computes the percentage of total waste diverted from landfill and the gap, in points, between that rate and your stated target.

Formula used

Landfill diversion rate = waste diverted from landfill ÷ total waste generated × 100
Gap to target = landfill diversion target - landfill diversion rate

Inputs explained

Waste diverted from landfill:
Total waste generated:
Landfill diversion target:

How to use the result

Use it for monthly or quarterly waste reporting, zero-waste certification tracking, or to flag plants falling short of a corporate diversion goal.
It treats all diversion equally — recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy count the same — even though many programs and certifications exclude or discount energy recovery.

Current U.S. benchmarks

Industrial electricity averages 8.66 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Apr 2026), up 5.5% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.

Common questions

How do you calculate landfill diversion rate? Divide the waste diverted from landfill by the total waste generated and multiply by 100. With 760 tons diverted out of 950 total, the diversion rate is 80%.
What is a good landfill diversion rate? Above 90% is generally considered the threshold for zero-waste-to-landfill recognition, with 50-70% typical for facilities early in a program. At 80%, the example plant is performing well but is 10 points short of a 90% target.
What counts as diverted waste? Materials recycled, reused, composted, or sent to anaerobic digestion are usually counted. Waste-to-energy is sometimes included and sometimes excluded depending on the standard, so confirm your program's rules before logging it as diverted.
Diversion rate vs. recycling rate: what's the difference? Recycling rate counts only material recycling. Diversion rate is broader, adding reuse, composting, and often energy recovery, so a facility's diversion rate is usually higher than its recycling rate alone.
How do I close the gap to my diversion target? Target the largest landfilled streams first. In the example, closing a 10-point gap on 950 tons means diverting roughly 95 more tons annually — often achievable by adding source separation for film plastics, wood, or organics.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.