Municipal Waste Sorting Equipment worked example

Reject Stream Cost at 72% share of residue routed to disposal: a worked example

This worked example runs the reject stream cost numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 72% share of residue routed to disposal instead of the typical 100%. Estimate the total cost of handling and disposing of residue and reject streams from the MRF, including disposal tip fee and fixed haul cost.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Residue tons in scope: 300 tons (held at the documented default)
  • Disposal tip fee: 65 $ / ton (held at the documented default)
  • Share of residue routed to disposal: 72 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 100)
  • Fixed haul, transfer, and handling cost: 1,500 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Variable residue disposal cost = residue tons x disposal tip fee x share routed to disposal.
  • Total residue and reject cost works out to 15,540 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Residue cost per ton works out to 51.8 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable residue disposal cost works out to 14,040 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed haul and handling cost works out to 1,500 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where share of residue routed to disposal sits at 100% and the headline result is 21,000 $, this scenario comes in 26% below the baseline at 15,540 $.
  • Use it for monthly cost reporting, contract negotiations on inbound contamination, or building the case for a sort-line upgrade that reduces residue. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Total residue and reject cost: 15,540 $ (headline result)
  • Residue cost per ton: 51.8 $ / piece
  • Variable residue disposal cost: 14,040 $
  • Fixed haul and handling cost: 1,500 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Reject Stream Cost calculator, set share of residue routed to disposal to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.