Measuring for RecycleMania

Measurement Methodologies

To participate in RecycleMania, schools are required to report weekly waste and/or recycling data during the 10 weeks of competition. This section includes resources that veteran participants have used to help measure recycling amounts during RecycleMania. You might even find these resources helpful year-round!

Examples of Tracking Spreadsheets

The following are examples of spreadsheets that can be used—and modified for your school—to track recyclables.

• Harvard Daily Tracking Spreadsheet – Bottles and Cans (31KB Excel)
  
  
• Harvard Weekly Recycling Tracking Spreadsheet (46KB Excel)
  

Volume-to-Weight Conversion Spreadsheets

• WasteWise Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (241KB PDF)
  Organized by material, this comprehensive list of volume-to-weight conversion factors for commonly collected materials will enhance your ability to accurately quantify waste reduction activities.
  
  
• College and University Recycling Council (CURC) Profile Input Form with Conversion Guide (109KB Excel)
  This series of worksheets—including conversion factors—helps colleges and universities collect waste reduction data to make meaningful comparisons between their campus and others.
  
  
• WasteWise Update: The Measure of Success (1MB PDF)
  This WasteWise Update describes how to measure waste reduction, including selecting the right measurement approach, establishing a baseline, collecting data, and calculating results. It also details how to assess cost savings, environmental impacts, and hidden benefits of waste reduction.