Understanding Landfill Diversion & Why It’s Important to Consider for Your Business

Landfill diversion is a growing priority for businesses worldwide, driven by a need to manage waste more sustainably, enhance environmental accountability and meet regulatory demands. Companies are increasingly focusing on how they handle waste and byproducts, understanding that what ends up in landfills has lasting ecological impacts. By directing materials away from landfills and exploring innovative recycling or repurposing strategies, businesses can reduce their ecological footprint and boost corporate sustainability. The benefits are not limited to environmental gains; organizations also experience enhanced brand reputation, cost savings, and alignment with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals. Integrating landfill diversion practices into operations signals a proactive approach to waste management, benefiting both the planet and the bottom line.

What is Landfill Diversion?

Landfill diversion refers to redirecting waste away from landfills by finding alternative means to recycle, repurpose or responsibly dispose of materials. The aim is to reduce landfill dependency and mitigate harmful environmental effects, such as greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation and groundwater contamination. Effective landfill diversion practices, backed by thorough waste assessments and sustainability consulting, help companies understand and manage waste more responsibly, creating a solid foundation for impactful ESG initiatives.

The Importance of Landfill Diversion

Reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills has multiple benefits for businesses. Here are some key reasons why landfill diversion is essential for organizations committed to sustainable operations:

Minimizing Environmental Impact

Landfills produce significant amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. Diverting waste reduces the volume of organic and non-organic materials breaking down in landfills, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and lessening pollution risks.

Enhancing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Today’s consumers are increasingly conscientious, favoring companies that prioritize sustainability. Landfill diversion is a visible, effective way for companies to demonstrate CSR by showcasing their commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible resource management.

Reducing Operational Costs

Waste management and disposal fees can be costly, particularly for businesses generating large quantities of waste. Diverting materials for recycling or repurposing can reduce disposal costs and even generate revenue if certain materials, like metals or plastics, have recycling value.

Aligning with ESG Goals

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals are integral to modern business strategy. Landfill diversion aligns with these goals by reducing environmental impact and promoting responsible resource use, which, in turn, positively influences investor confidence and regulatory compliance.

Types of Materials That Can Be Diverted

Many types of waste can be diverted from landfills, often with specialized recycling or disposal solutions that meet both environmental and corporate sustainability standards. CheckSammy offers industry-specific waste management services covering materials commonly produced by commercial operations.

Textiles

From discarded uniforms to commercial fabrics, textiles contribute significantly to landfill volumes. CheckSammy’s textile recycling services provide businesses with a sustainable alternative, recycling fabrics or repurposing them to avoid landfill disposal. With an emphasis on diverting textile waste into a circular economy, CheckSammy’s approach includes sorting, recycling, and repurposing options tailored to a business’s specific textile waste needs. By managing the collection, processing and recycling of textiles, CheckSammy helps businesses reduce their environmental footprint and effectively achieve textile waste sustainability goals.

E-Waste

Electronic waste, including outdated computers, servers and peripherals, contains hazardous materials requiring specialized disposal. CheckSammy provides secure e-waste and IT asset disposition (ITAD) services, which not only ensure data security through certified data wiping processes but also meet regulatory compliance for electronic recycling. The service offers customized e-waste recycling solutions that include collection, responsible handling and final disposal through certified channels, helping businesses reduce liability and environmental risk associated with electronic waste.

Organics

Organic waste from the food and hospitality industries represents a substantial landfill burden. CheckSammy’s organics recycling services enable companies to convert organic waste into compost or bioenergy, helping businesses minimize methane emissions. Our nationwide network of sustainability facilities make it easy to do milk-runs from multiple locations for easier, more convenient composting for your organization. 

Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning supplies, including detergents, disinfectants, soaps, polishes and aerolsoles often contain chemicals that need careful disposal. CheckSammy provides specialized recycling options to handle these items, preventing hazardous chemicals from polluting landfills. 

Our data-driven collection process allows businesses to recycle cleaning supply waste in a safe, environmentally friendly manner. By utilizing CheckSammy’s cleaning supply recycling program, companies can ensure that these products are managed responsibly, reinforcing their commitment to eco-friendly practices.

Construction Materials

Construction waste—including concrete, bricks, asphalt, glass, metals, plastics and wood—poses unique challenges for landfill diversion. CheckSammy’s sustainable demolition services support companies in responsibly disposing of or recycling construction and demolition (C&D) materials. Through targeted sorting, recycling, and reuse practices, CheckSammy provides an efficient way to manage C&D waste, diverting materials from landfills and supporting sustainable building practices. 

8 Ways Waste Can Be Diverted from Landfills

Landfill diversion encompasses a variety of methods that reduce the volume of waste directed to landfills. Companies have multiple avenues to enhance waste management practices, many of which CheckSammy can support.

Source Reduction

Source reduction is a proactive approach to waste management that minimizes waste production from the outset. This method focuses on reducing the quantity and environmental impact of materials used in production or operations. For instance, businesses can consider removing toxic materials, fostering design improvements and embracing more efficient manufacturing processes.  

Recycling

Recycling is a cornerstone of landfill diversion, and CheckSammy’s recycling solutions make it seamless for businesses to manage a variety of recyclable materials. CheckSammy offers comprehensive recycling programs tailored to the needs of specific industries, covering common recyclables (like plastics, paper, and glass) as well as specialized items such as metals, electronics and textiles. By partnering with CheckSammy, businesses can streamline their recycling processes with easy-to-use collection programs, centralized recycling hubs, and coordinated pickups, ensuring materials are handled responsibly and effectively.

Waste Assessment

A waste assessment provides valuable insights into a company’s waste streams, helping identify areas for improvement in landfill diversion. CheckSammy’s waste assessment and consulting services begin with an in-depth audit, capturing a complete picture of the company’s waste production, types and disposal practices. Using these data-driven insights, CheckSammy offers tailored recommendations on reducing waste, improving recycling practices and maximizing landfill diversion. This process enables businesses to clearly understand their waste impact and set measurable sustainability goals, creating a roadmap for waste reduction and responsible disposal.

Reverse Logistics

Reverse logistics focuses on retrieving used products or materials for recycling, reuse or safe disposal, reducing the need for landfilling. CheckSammy’s reverse logistics services include collecting, transporting and processing items like electronics, packaging materials or outdated products. Our waste-agnostic approach provides flexibility for all your logistics needs, whether reverse, lateral or forward. This comprehensive logistics solution helps businesses create a closed-loop system that recycles or repurposes products and materials, thus minimizing waste and reducing the environmental footprint associated with returns and disposals. CheckSammy’s service benefits companies by providing an efficient and responsible end-of-life solution for their products.

Data-Driven Insights

Understanding and tracking waste diversion progress is crucial for businesses aiming to meet ESG goals. CheckSammy’s industry-leading sustainability platform, Veridiant, delivers data insights, enabling companies to monitor waste generation, diversion rates and recycling effectiveness. Our sustainability as a service platform helps organizations visualize waste management trends, optimize processes and make data-backed decisions to improve landfill diversion efforts. By consolidating and analyzing waste data, businesses can better identify areas for improvement, track their ESG performance, and demonstrate sustainability efforts transparently to stakeholders.

Waste Audit

A waste audit is essential for identifying inefficiencies in waste management and enhancing diversion practices. CheckSammy’s customized waste audit solution provides a detailed breakdown of waste categories, volumes and sources within a business. This audit includes a comprehensive analysis and recommendations for improving waste segregation, recycling practices and resource efficiency. With CheckSammy’s expert guidance, companies can use waste audits to uncover cost-saving opportunities, improve environmental performance and establish a structured approach to sustainable waste management.

Sustainability Hubs

CheckSammy’s nationwide Sustainability Hubs serve as centralized facilities where businesses can send waste for recycling or responsible disposal. These hubs are particularly beneficial for bulk waste, complex recyclables and companies operating across multiple locations. Sustainability Hubs reduce transportation emissions and provide cost-effective recycling solutions by consolidating waste management activities. This service simplifies the recycling process and offers an efficient pathway to landfill diversion, allowing businesses to manage even specialized waste types at scale while maintaining environmental and financial efficiency.

Mailback Program

One of the easiest ways to divert waste from landfills is through CheckSammy’s Mailback Program. It offers a convenient and affordable solution for businesses of all sizes to recycle a wide range of materials, such as e-waste, textiles and plastic. Through this program, businesses can select a waste box, fill it and ship using the prepaid attached shipping label. We’ll process the waste at one of our nationwide Sustainability Hubs. The Mailback Program makes it easy for companies to participate in landfill diversion efforts regardless of location or waste volume, contributing to broader sustainability goals while ensuring materials are responsibly managed.

How Are Landfill Diversion Rates Calculated?

Calculating landfill diversion rates involves measuring the percentage of waste redirected from landfills through recycling, composting or repurposing. To determine this rate, companies track the weight or volume of the total waste generated and the weight or volume of the diverted materials.

The landfill diversion rate formula: 

(diversion materials / total waste generated) x 100 = diversion rate

For example, an organization that generates 1,000 tons of total waste and diverts 300 tons by composting, recycling, or repurposing would have a diversion rate of 30%. 

Accurate diversion rate calculations require reliable data management systems, which CheckSammy’s Veridiant platform offers. The platform consolidates waste data, making it easier for businesses to calculate and improve their landfill diversion rates, track ESG goals, and measure sustainability progress effectively.

Prioritizing Landfill Diversion in Your Workplace

As the world’s largest bulk waste and sustainability operator, CheckSammy provides comprehensive sustainability solutions to meet the specific needs of various industries. From waste audits and assessments to specialized recycling services, CheckSammy supports businesses in developing impactful landfill diversion strategies that align with ESG objectives. By leveraging CheckSammy’s data-driven solutions, including our Veridiant platform, businesses can gain insight into their waste generation, enabling better decision-making and a clear path toward sustainability. We invite you to contact us for a consultation and learn how we can support your industry’s landfill diversion and sustainability goals, providing tailored waste management solutions that make a difference!