Tool
Enter where your material goes, before and after a change
Yield = product ÷ material input
| Where the material ends up (kg) | Baseline | After changes |
|---|---|---|
| Product | ||
| Reused | ||
| Recycled | ||
| Landfilled | ||
| Other disposal |
Calculator Library / Sustainability
Waste Diversion and Material Yield Calculator
Build a simple material balance, see yield and diversion, and find out whether a change prevented waste or only moved it.
Material flow
Where the material ends up
Instructions
How to use this app
- Enter the material input for a typical period and where it ended up: product, reused, recycled, landfilled, and other disposal.
- Check that the destinations add up to the input. The tool flags any unaccounted material.
- Enter your material and landfill costs, and the number of periods per year.
- Enter an "after" scenario to test the effect of prevention, reuse, or recycling changes.
- Prefer prevention. A better yield is worth more than better handling of waste.
What This Waste Diversion and Material Yield Calculator Helps You Decide
This calculator builds a simple material balance: how much material goes in, how much becomes product, and where the rest ends up. It gives material yield, waste generated, the diversion rate, and the cost of waste, before and after a change.
Use it to check whether an improvement really reduced waste, or only moved it from landfill to recycling, and to put a value on prevention.
How It Works
| Measure | Rule | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Material yield | Product ÷ material input | The share of input that becomes product. |
| Waste generated | Material input − product | All material that did not become product. |
| Diversion rate | (Reused + recycled) ÷ waste generated | The share of waste kept out of landfill and disposal. |
| Cost of waste | Waste × material cost + landfilled × landfill cost | The value of lost material plus disposal cost per period. |
Worked Example: A Weekly Material Balance
The pre-loaded baseline has 1,000 kg of input and 820 kg of product. The remaining 180 kg is 20 kg reused, 90 kg recycled, and 70 kg landfilled. Yield is 82%, and the diversion rate is 61.1%. At $2.40 per kg of material and $0.12 per kg of landfill, the cost of waste is $440.40 per period.
After changes to nesting and stock lengths, product rises to 870 kg, with 20 kg reused, 80 kg recycled, and 30 kg landfilled. Yield is 87%, diversion 76.9%, and the cost of waste $315.60, a saving of $124.80 per period, or $6,240 over 50 periods. The recycled quantity fell, yet the result is better, because prevention beats recycling.
Limits and Good Practice
- The calculator treats mass as conserved. Real processes can gain or lose mass through moisture, dust, or evaporation, so allow for that in your own data.
- It counts material cost and landfill cost only. It does not include labor, energy, transport, or the value or cost of recycled material.
- Regulations may define waste, recycling, and diversion differently. Follow the definitions that apply to you when you report.
- Data stays in your browser and is not saved between visits.
Waste Diversion and Material Yield Calculator Frequently Asked Questions
What is material yield?
Material yield is the share of material input that becomes product, calculated as product output divided by material input. A yield of 87% means 13% of the material became waste. Raising yield prevents waste at the source and is preferred to handling waste better.
What is a diversion rate?
The diversion rate is the share of waste that is reused or recycled instead of landfilled or otherwise disposed of, calculated as reused plus recycled divided by waste generated. It should be reported with waste generated and yield, because it can rise while total waste stays high or even when recycling falls because there is less waste.
What if my destinations do not add up to the input?
The calculator flags the difference. Check for unmeasured losses such as moisture, dust, or spills, for double counting, and for stock changes between periods, then correct the data so the balance closes.
Is my data stored anywhere?
No. The calculator runs in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. It does not save your entries between visits.