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3. Visualizing the Waste System and Its Future
due to the fact that there are recycling facilities in their boundaries. However, higher recyclables diversion achieved significant gains in other metrics. In a maximum recycling scenario, savings for the city with were of more than $150 million a year, due to the reduction of waste export. Greenhouse gases were also reduced in more than 3.7 million tons of CO2 per year. The maximum diversion rate achievable was 78.1%, considering a maximum diversion of recyclables and organics in residences and businesses. This was the maximum rate considering the current material composition of these waste streams, i.e. only 78.1% of our waste can currently be composted or recycled. This did not account for possible future changes in our waste stream that may allow higher diversion rates, potentially through product bans or changes in consumption patterns. Waste reduction also presented gains, especially financial and environmental. Assuming a 20% reduction of waste generated through all waste streams, for example, could potentially save the city $60 million in waste export per year, and reduce the amount of miles travelled by collection trucks by 27 million.