EN2.1
Waste Diversion from Landfill
Environment
- Waste Management
Waste Diversion from Landfill
“Waste diversion” refers to the process of redirecting waste away from landfills and incineration towards more sustainable waste management practices, such as recycling, composting, and reuse. The goal of waste diversion is to minimize the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, reduce environmental impact, conserve natural resources, and often reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with waste disposal. By diverting waste, communities and organizations can manage resources more efficiently and promote a more sustainable approach to waste management.
If users want to assess the emissions impact of their waste management practices, they can consult WRAP’s (WRAP is a global environmental action NGO transforming product and food systems to create Circular Living for the benefit of climate, nature and people. ) Carbon Waste and Resources Metric (CarbonWARM2). However, it’s important to note that this metric is not designed for reporting Scope 3 emissions. For more information about principles for GHG accounting and reporting and three “scopes” of emissions, please visit MeasureUp EN1 Measuring Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions.
Envisaged applications for CarbonWARM2 include:
- Monitoring and reporting CO2e savings achieved by shifting waste management up the hierarchy.
- Evaluating how much of the potential CO2e savings has been realized through current practices.
- Modelling and comparing the greenhouse gas impacts of different waste management scenarios.
This metric is suitable for local authorities, waste management companies, policy makers and other stakeholders committed to reducing emissions and supporting climate action goals.
Key Value
£62.50
The monetised environmental value of carbon savings per tonne of waste diverted from landfill.
CarbonWARM2 is the latest version of the Carbon Waste and Resources Metric developed by WRAP on behalf of DEFRA. This updated version provides conversion factors that enable organisations to assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with waste management practices, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). It serves as an essential tool for evaluating and improving waste management strategies.
Landfill emissions are critical to Carbon WARM as all figures for waste management options are presented as a cost or saving relative to disposal to landfill. All landfill emissions were supplied directly by DEFRA based on the Methane Emissions from Landfill model (MELMod) landfill emissions model and are the same as the gas emissions factors supplied by DESNZ. Table 1 shows the unnormalized values (tonnes.CO2e/tonne) by each material in landfill.
Table 1 Carbon WARM, unnormalized values (tonnes.CO2e/tonne)
| Material | Landfill |
| Paper | 1.16 |
| Cardboard | 1.16 |
| Glass | 0.004 |
| Steel | 0.004 |
| Aluminium | 0.004 |
| PET rigid | 0.004 |
| HDPE rigid | 0.004 |
| Rigid plastics average | 0.004 |
| Film plastics average | 0.004 |
| Wood | 0.921 |
| Textiles | 0.492 |
| Kitchen waste | 0.696 |
| Garden waste | 0.642 |
| Mixed organics | 0.651 |
| Furniture | 0.695 |
| Electricals – all | 0.004 |
| WEEE – Large household | 0.004 |
| WEEE – Refrigeration | 0.004 |
| WEEE – Small household | 0.004 |
| WEEE – IT and telecoms | 0.004 |
| WEEE – Consumer | 0.004 |
| WEEE – Display screen | 0.004 |
| Batteries – alkaline | 0.004 |
| Batteries – NiMh | 0.004 |
| Batteries – lithium | 0.004 |
| Sanitary & AHP | 0.319 |
| Misc combustible | 0.622 |
| Misc non combustible | 0.004 |
| Rubble and aggregate | 0.004 |
| Incinerator bottom ash | 0.004 |
| Average | 0.248 |
These numbers represent the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions associated with each material. The higher the value, the greater the environmental impact. For example, paper and board have a relatively high footprint compared to dense plastics or glass. The average Carbon footprint for Landfill is 0.248 tonnes.CO2e per tonne.
Greenhouse gas emissions values (“carbon values”) are used across UK government for valuing impacts on GHG emissions resulting from policy interventions. They represent a monetary value that society places on one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (£/tCO2e).
According to the 2021 carbon values from DESNZ/BEIS, Carbon values in 2020 prices per tonne of CO2: central series for 2023 is £252 per tonne or 25.2p per kgCO2e. For more information, please visit MeasureUp EN1 Measuring Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions.
The average carbon emission per tonne of waste is 248 kg.CO2e and the carbon values in £2020 prices per kg of CO2 is £0.252. Thus, the headline value is 248kg.CO2e*£0.252= £62.5 per tonne of waste.
Local Needs Analysis Data Source
Before using this MeasureUp value, we encourage you to assess the local need in relation to the activity or outcome.
Here is the most useful initial data source for assessing local need in relation to this value.
To assess local needs related to the value EN2.1 ‘Waste diversion from landfill’, use the Household Recycling Rate from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
This indicator reflects the percentage of household waste that is recycled instead of sent to landfill. It is updated annually and available at local authority and regional levels, helping to evaluate the effectiveness of local waste management and sustainability efforts.
If you’re starting out, start with Bronze first. The result of a Bronze measurement is just an estimate but requires the least effort, whereas Silver and Gold give more accurate results but require more effort.
Each level has an effort-to-accuracy indicator; choose the one that’s right for you.
Bronze
Effort
Accuracy
Monetised value:
At the Bronze level, you should measure the amount of waste you have diverted from landfill, and use this to calculate the approximate carbon footprint of your diverted waste.
Average carbon emission per tonne of waste is 248 kg.CO2e and Carbon values in £2020 prices per kg of CO2 is £0.252.
Thus, the bronze value is 248kg.CO2e*£0.252=£62.5 per tonne of waste.
Here’s an example
Assume as an organisation you diverted 100 tonnes of waste from landfill to zero emission, but you don’t know the materials of the waste. Thus, you can approximately calculate the monetised environmental value of the waste diversion from landfill based on estimated CO2e emissions diverted as:
(100 tonnes*248 kg.CO2e) *£0.252 = £6,250
This value represents carbon savings for waste diversion from landfill.
Silver
Effort
Accuracy
Monetised value:
At the Silver level, you should measure the amount of waste you have diverted from landfill by each type of material, and use this to calculate the approximate carbon footprint of your diverted waste
Table 1 Carbon WARM, unnormalized values (tonnes.CO2e/tonne)
| Material | Landfill |
| Paper | 1.16 |
| Cardboard | 1.16 |
| Glass | 0.004 |
| Steel | 0.004 |
| Aluminium | 0.004 |
| PET rigid | 0.004 |
| HDPE rigid | 0.004 |
| Rigid plastics average | 0.004 |
| Film plastics average | 0.004 |
| Wood | 0.921 |
| Textiles | 0.492 |
| Kitchen waste | 0.696 |
| Garden waste | 0.642 |
| Mixed organics | 0.651 |
| Furniture | 0.695 |
| Electricals – all | 0.004 |
| WEEE – Large household | 0.004 |
| WEEE – Refrigeration | 0.004 |
| WEEE – Small household | 0.004 |
| WEEE – IT and telecoms | 0.004 |
| WEEE – Consumer | 0.004 |
| WEEE – Display screen | 0.004 |
| Batteries – alkaline | 0.004 |
| Batteries – NiMh | 0.004 |
| Batteries – lithium | 0.004 |
| Sanitary & AHP | 0.319 |
| Misc combustible | 0.622 |
| Misc non combustible | 0.004 |
| Rubble and aggregate | 0.004 |
| Incinerator bottom ash | 0.004 |
| Average | 0.248 |
Here’s an example
Assume as an organisation you diverted 100 tonnes of textiles from landfill and 100 tonnes of wood. Thus, you can approximately calculate the monetised environmental value of the waste diversion from landfill as:
((100tonnes textiles*492 kg.CO2e) +(100tonnes wood *921 kg.CO2e)) *£0.252=£35,607.60
This value represents carbon savings for waste diversion from landfill.
Gold
Effort
Accuracy
At the Gold level, you would be expected to
- Measure more accurately using more specific data for you in-scope activities.
- Track the emissions or savings over time.
This will allow you to show your actual results over time against your estimates as outlined in Bronze and Silver. Think of this as assessing your forecast or budget against your actuals.
Here’s an example
A construction company is assessing the environmental impact of waste in landfill.
| Construction Material | Tonnes2023 | Tonnes2024 | Monetised Value in 2023 | Monetised Value in 2024 |
| Glass | 50 | 75 | (50×4) ×£0.252 = £50.40 | (75×4) ×£0.252 = £75.60 |
| Steel | 100 | 120 | (100×4) ×£0.252 = £100.80 | (120×4) ×£0.252 = £120.96 |
| Aluminium | 100 | 80 | (100×4) ×£0.252 = £100.80 | (80×4) ×£0.252 = £80.64 |
| PET rigid | 500 | 400 | (500×4) ×£0.252 = £504.00 | (400×4) ×£0.252 = £403.20 |
| Total | £756.00 | £680.40 | ||
The monetised value of the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through diversion of waste from landfill from 2023 to 2024 is £75.60.
This value represents carbon savings for waste diversion from landfill.
Support in developing your Gold survey approach is available through the Measure Up partners, so please do reach out to Impact, State of Life or PRD.
| Value Type: | Activity |
What's this?
This is the type of value. Some values are outcomes, which means many different interventions might lead to them, others are specific interventions that have a set value. |
|---|---|---|
| UN SDG Categories: |
|
What's this?
The UN Sustainable Development Goals are global goals adopted in 2015 for all signed up nations to achieve for us to have a sustainable global future by 2030. There are 17 Goals that address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The Goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them all by 2030. |
| 2020 Social Value Models: |
|
What's this?
PPN 06/20 Taking account of social value in the award of central government contracts introduced the Central Government Social Value Model in 2020 which all Central Government contracting authorities must use in their in scope procurements. It consists of 5 themes, 8 policy outcomes, and 24 Model Award Criteria which outline key priority areas to achieve more social value. |
| 2025 Social Value Models: |
|
What's this?
|
Evidence
Measure Up focuses on empowering you to numerically measure the impact you’re having. We recommend that numeric reports are backed up with stories and other types of evidence to help illustrate, in human terms, the impact that’s being made on individuals.
We recommend seeking consent from participants in your intervention to collect and tell their story. This should include a little background on the participant, a summing up of life before the intervention, the human impact of the intervention, and the longer term (if known) impact on the person’s life outside of, and after, the intervention.
Providing photographs, audio recordings, video interviews or even artefacts from the intervention (for example, writing, paintings, music from creative interventions) can add more to the story, and convey the emotional impact of interventions more directly.
In some cases it’s appropriate to anonymise or abbreviate the personal information of case study participants. No story should be published or shared without the recorded consent of the individual(s) it concerns. Individuals continue to own the rights to their stories and if they request you stop sharing the story or making it available online you should do so promptly and without need for justification.
Feedback
Measure Up is open, collaborative and transparent. If you have any suggestions or feedback on our pragmatic, recommended approach to measuring and valuing social value, including wellbeing, economic, and fiscal impact, and effects on our environment, please get in touch so we can share and discuss this at our next Advisory Group meeting.
More help
We want to empower anyone to perform and improve their impact measurement – without needing a degree in economics.
If you need any more help, or just someone to do the legwork for you we can help signpost you to software, training and consultancy to help you get to grips with the impact you’re having and value you are creating.
