Environmental Compliance, Waste & Water Management worked example

Recycling Savings at 66% net capture share: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop net capture share to 66%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate recycling savings from recycled material quantity, avoided disposal plus rebate value, applicable share, and fixed environmental fees.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Recycled material quantity: 96 tons (held at the documented default)
  • Avoided disposal plus rebate value: 118 $ / ton (held at the documented default)
  • Net capture share: 66 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 92)
  • Sorting, baling, or pickup cost: 2,200 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable cost = recycled material quantity × avoided disposal plus rebate value × net capture share.
  • Total recycling savings works out to 9,676 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Recycling value per ton works out to 101 $ / ton at these inputs.
  • Variable recycling savings works out to 7,476 $ at these inputs.
  • Sorting, baling, or pickup cost works out to 2,200 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where net capture share sits at 92% and the headline result is 12,622 $, this scenario comes in 23.33% below the baseline at 9,676 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to net capture share, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes a single blended value per ton; commodity scrap prices (cardboard, metals, plastics) swing with markets, so a number that pencils today can flip negative when rebate prices fall.

Results at a glance

  • Total recycling savings: 9,676 $ (headline result)
  • Recycling value per ton: 101 $ / ton
  • Variable recycling savings: 7,476 $
  • Sorting, baling, or pickup cost: 2,200 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Recycling Savings calculator, set net capture share to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.