Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Sustainable Materials Management

Metrics for Waste Reduction

When monitoring and evaluating a waste reduction program, it is important to establish a consistent set of metrics and procedures for collecting data. This includes tracking your efforts and estimates of the quantity and composition of waste generated and the avoided waste removal and purchasing costs.

  • Standard Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (pdf) (139.7 KB)
  • Estimating Waste Removal Costs (pdf) (63.66 KB)
  • WasteWise Material Glossary (pdf) (36.55 KB)

Sustainable Materials Management

  • Basics
  • Built Environment
  • Circular Economy
  • Electric Arc Furnace Slag
  • Electronics
  • Food
  • Industrial Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials
  • Packaging
  • Plastics
  • Recycled-Content Products
  • Recycling Economic Information Report
  • SMM Tools
  • Past SMM Webinars
Contact Us About Sustainable Materials Management
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on March 28, 2025
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.