Monitoring Participation and Perceptions
A starting point for learning about the effectiveness of recycling efforts is to track participation rates in waste reduction, reuse and recycling programs. It may also be interesting to look at the perceptions of participants regarding the programs. Monitoring and assessment approaches include:
1. Developing set-out and participation rates which are often used to determine what percent of the households with access to recycling programs are actually using the programs.
2. Using surveys at drop-off facilities to find out what people are dropping off, their demographics, distance traveled, convenience of the facility, etc.
3. Focus groups can be used to collect information from a cross section of the population on a specific topic, for instance perceptions of facilities.
Monitoring Solid Waste to Landfills
You may want to track the amount of solid waste diverted from landfill. Approaches include:
1. Measuring and tracking the quantity of materials that would have otherwise gone to landfill (collected at recycling depots, composting facilities, and traded at re-use facilities).
2. Developing indicators that relate the quantity of recycled materials to the total amount that could be captured. This can be done with the following indicators: Recycling rate, which is calculated by dividing total tonnes of recyclables collected by total tonnes of recyclables and refuse from the same region. Capture rate analysis, which describes the potentially available recyclables that are being diverted through the recycling program.
Monitoring Changes in Materials use
You may want to monitor changes in the amount and type of materials used by a community. Approaches include:
- Monitoring to track material(s) used in the manufacture, transportation and disposal of goods and services. This can apply to a specific material of interest (e.g. materials produced locally, with recycled material content, hazardous content, etc.). You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies, or develop your own data through surveying or through a waste audit. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data.
- Extrapolation to estimate changes in material use (quantity and types) for the manufacture, transportation and disposal of goods and services. This could be calculated based on information about waste diverted to landfill, or information about changes in people's or organizational practices. Some tools are being developed that estimate 'life cycle" material use of different products and practices. One of the most comprehensive tools is Carnegie Melon’s EIO-LCA model
Monitoring Changes in Energy Use
Changes in the use of materials and the generation of waste impacts the amount and type of energy used in a community. If you are interested in showing this, you could analyze the amount and type of energy use in a community. Approaches include:
- Monitoring to track energy use in the manufacture, transportation and disposal of goods and services. This can apply to all energy use, or to a specific type of energy (e.g. energy from renewable sources). You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies (for example Statistics Canada’s Report on Energy Supply and Demand, Natural Resources Canada’s National Energy Use Database , other levels of government, regional indicator projects, utility billing data), or develop your own data through surveying. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data.
- Extrapolation to estimate changes in energy use (type and quantity) based on the amount of waste diverted to landfill, or information about changes in people’s or organizational practices. Some tools are being developed that estimate ‘life cycle’ energy use of different products and practices. One of the most comprehensive tools is Carnegie Melon’s EIO-LCA model
Monitoring Changes in Water Use
Like energy, changes in the use of materials and the generation of waste impacts the amount of water energy used in a community. If you are interested in showing this, you could analyze the amount of water used in a community. A social enterprise may want to monitor changes in the amount and type of water use in a community. Approaches include:
- Monitoring to track water use in the manufacture, transportation and disposal of goods and services. You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies, or develop your own data through surveying. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data.
- Extrapolation to estimate changes in water use in a community (including in the manufacture, transportation and disposal of products) based on the amount of waste diverted to landfill, or information about the change in people’s or organizational practices.
Monitoring Changes in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Energy use and the release of methane in landfills contributes to the greenhouse gases produced by a community. Approaches to measuring this include:
Monitoring to track the production of greenhouse gas emissions. This can apply to a specific greenhouse gas of interest (e.g. carbon dioxide) or all greenhouse gases, which are commonly expressed in terms of a carbon dioxide equivalent (different gases have different global warming potentials). You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies by region (for example Environment Canada’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory ,or develop your own estimate based on applying emission factors to energy consumption data (and in some cases production data, for non-energy based emissions).
Note: It is important to use emission factors for electricity use that are specific to your region, because the fuel (and resulting emissions)) for producing electricity is unique by region. A good resource for appropriate factors (including provincial electricity emission factors) is available on the Canadian Standards Association, Climate Change Services website. Extrapolation to estimate changes in greenhouse gas emissions produced through the manufacture, transportation and disposal of products, based on data on the amount and type of waste diverted to landfill, or information about changes in people’s or organizational practices. This can include reductions in emissions and changes to ‘sinks’ (vegetation, soils, water) that absorb emissions. Some tools are being developed that estimate ‘life cycle’ emissions of products. The most comprehensive tool is Carnegie Melon’s EIO-LCA model
Other tools are available on line which estimate average emissions savings from various reduction actions, particularly for households. (For instance see Pembina’s One Less Tonne tool). The results may not always be transferable to your jurisdiction (particularly if your action/product relates in some way to electricity use). An environmental consultant may also be of assistance in this type of analysis.
Monitoring Changes to Air and Water Quality, and Other Environmental Changes.
A very very ambitious social enterprise may want to analyze changess to air quality, water quality, water system health, land and soil quality, biodiversity and habitat protection. Indicators relating to these factors of ecological health may be currently collected in your community. A good place to look is the environment department of different levels of government. Being able to estimate changes in these factors based on changes in people’s and organizational practices can be quite complex and may require modelling. . Many environmental consulting companies specialize in this type of analysis.
An alternate way to consider environmental impact holistically is to estimate an ‘ecological footprint’, which relates resources use (materials, energy, water) to the biocapacity of land. The concept has mainly been applied to compare geographical areas (municipalities, countries) and lifestyles.