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Waste Stream
Determining the size of the waste stream: Here are various methods for determining the size of a building's waste stream:
- If a waste-hauling contract exists, then the contractor should provide copies of waste-hauling tickets at end of every month, or as requested. Alternatively, you should ask the contractor for a monthly report showing the amount of waste hauled. If this service is not part of the contract, the contract should be modified accordingly.
- If waste hauling is part of a custodial contract, you should ask the prime contractor for copies of waste hauling tickets or a monthly report summarizing that activity. If this service is not a part of the custodial contract, language should be inserted into the contract making this a requirement.
- 3) If waste-hauling information from either a waste-hauling or custodial contractor is not available, and a visual inspection cannot be done, estimate the total waste stream using the following formula:
(Population of the Building) x (1.6 pounds/person) x (250 workdays per year) divided by (2000 pounds per ton) = estimated annual waste stream tonnage per year.
NOTE: The 1.6 pounds per day of waste is an estimate from Franklin Associates of the average amount of waste generated by an office worker each day. The 250 workdays per year takes into account 365 days per year minus 104 weekend days and an average of eleven vacation days or holidays.
How To Estimate A Building's Annual Waste Stream
@ 1.6 lbs. of waste per employee per day
Example: 1,500 employees in the building
(1, 5 0 0 X 1. 6 X 2 5 0) ÷ 2 ,0 0 0 = 3 0 0 tons/yr.
employees lbs./ days/ lbs./ton
day yr.
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| WEIGHT TO VOLUME CONVERSION FACTORS * |
| Commingled |
| Commingled cans, glass and plastic containers |
140-220 lbs./cu. yd. |
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| Glass |
| Densities |
| Whole bottles 0 to 10% broken |
| Clear |
500-lbs./cu. yd. |
| Green |
550-lbs./cu. yd. |
| Amber |
550 lbs./cu. yd. |
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| Crushed glass, semi-crushed |
1,000 lbs./cu. yd. |
| 1 ½" mechanically crushed |
1,800-lbs./cu. yd. |
| ¼" furnace ready |
2,700 lbs./cu. yd. |
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| Unit Weights |
| Average 16 oz bottle,
Unbroken |
0.41 lbs./bottle |
| Average municipal bottle,
Unbroken |
0.55 lbs./bottle |
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| Aluminum |
| Densities |
| Whole, unflattened |
50 lbs./cu. yd. |
| Flattened |
175 lbs./cu. yd. |
| Weight per can |
0.037 lbs./can |
| Cans per pound |
27 cans/lb. |
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| Plastics |
| Densities |
| PET, whole |
34-lb./cu. yd. |
| PET, flattened (220 bottles per cu. yd.) |
75 lbs./cu. yd. |
| HDPE, (natural), whole |
30 lbs./cu. yd. |
| HDPE, (natural), flattened (205 bottles per cu. yd.) |
65 lbs./cu. yd. |
| HDPE, (colored), whole |
45-lbs./cu. yd. |
| HDPE, (colored), flattened |
90 lbs./cu. yd. |
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| Mix of all plastic containers, whole |
38 lbs./cu. yd. |
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| Tin-Plated Steel Cans |
| Densities |
| Whole, unflattened |
150 lbs./cu. yd. |
| Flattened |
850 lbs./cu. yd. |
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| Unit Weight |
| Average Weight of Various Can Sizes (10 oz, 12 oz, 16 oz, 32 oz) |
0.23 lbs./can, 4.3 cans/lb.
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| Paper |
| Densities: Loose, Unbaled |
| Newspaper |
475 lbs./cu. yd. |
| Corrugated |
150 lbs./cu. yd. |
| High-Grades |
300-400 lbs./cu. yd. |
*Source: Resource Recycling Technologies, Inc., 300 Plaza Drive, Vestal, New York, 13850
See also the following EPA website for conversion factors:
EPA's Standard Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors for Different Recyclables
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