Define waste diversion rate and its purpose.

• A. The percentage of waste diverted from final disposal through recycling/composting/redirected recovery; used to measure waste program performance.
• B. The percentage of waste sent to landfill.
• C. The ratio of water usage to waste.
• D. The cost of waste disposal.

Answer: (A)

Waste diversion rate measures how much of the waste stream is kept out of final disposal by routing materials into recycling, composting, or other recovery options. It’s usually expressed as a percentage of the total waste that is diverted rather than sent to landfills or incineration, and it’s often calculated by dividing the diverted waste by the total waste generated.

This metric is used to gauge how well a waste program is performing—how effective it is at preventing waste from ending up in disposal facilities, guiding improvements, and showing progress toward sustainability goals. It also serves as a basis for benchmarking between programs or facilities.

The other ideas don’t fit this concept: one focuses on the portion that actually goes to landfill (the opposite of diversion), another swaps waste with water usage, and another concerns cost.