Calculates what percentage of total waste is being diverted to recycling rather than sent to landfill or incineration.
How it works
The recycled waste amount is divided by the total waste amount and converted to a percentage.
What this does not include
This does not include composting or other waste-diversion methods separately — this calculator treats “recycled” and “total” as whatever categories you define when entering the figures.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the amount of waste recycled and the total amount of waste generated.
A worked example
30 units recycled out of 100 total waste: recycling rate = 30 ÷ 100 × 100 = 30%, landfilled = 70%.
45 units recycled out of 120: recycling rate = 37.5%.
What the variables mean
| Variable | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Recycled | Amount of waste diverted to recycling |
| Total | Total waste generated |
Edge cases worth knowing
Recycled amount can’t exceed total waste — recycling is a subset of total waste generated, so a recycled figure larger than the total signals a data error, and the calculator declines to show a result for it.
Recycling rate and landfilled percentage always sum to 100% — every unit of waste is either recycled or not, with no third category in this simple model.
Frequently asked questions
What’s considered a good recycling rate?
This varies by region and waste stream — many well-performing municipal programs report rates in the 30-50% range, though top performers can exceed that.
Does a higher recycling rate always mean less environmental impact?
Generally yes, but the picture also depends on what’s being recycled and how efficiently — some materials require more energy to recycle than others.
Can this calculator handle any unit of mass?
Yes — enter both figures in the same unit (kg, tons, pounds), and the resulting percentage will be correct regardless of which unit you chose.
