Waste and debris

Draft · protocol 3.0.0-draft

Classification

Capture physical stream and regulatory disposition separately. Starter material_stream values: wood, drywall, concrete, asphalt_shingle, metal_ferrous, metal_nonferrous, carpet, vinyl_flooring, insulation, glass, plastic, mixed_cd, electronics, appliance, contents_mixed, hazardous_regulated, other.

This is a proposed starter taxonomy that needs local mapping. It is not a substitute for jurisdictional waste codes.

Keep these separate: source_material, contamination, hazard_classification, waste_code, processing_method, destination_type, facility_id, final_disposition, evidence_status. A load delivered to a transfer station is not automatically verified recycled. Track downstream outcomes or classify them as unverified.

WasteEvent minimum data

waste_event_id, job_id, claim_id, material_stream, quantity, quantity_unit, measurement_method, event_time, origin, carrier, destination_facility, facility_acceptance_status, processing_outcome, contamination_notes, ticket_id, evidence_ids, reported_by, verification_status, allocation_fraction, methodology_version.

Preferred measurement, best first:

1. certified scale net weight with gross, tare, location and ticket;
2. documented facility receipt;
3. calibrated on-site scale;
4. measured container volume with density and uncertainty;
5. estimate-derived quantity, as a last resort.

Retain original units and factor references on every conversion. Negative or zero weights require an explicit reason code.

Chain of custody

created → loaded → transported → received → sorted → processed → final_outcome_confirmed

Each transition records actor, timestamp, location where allowed, evidence link and an immutable revision. A QR code may link a container or load identifier to these events. Reconciliation detects missing tickets, duplicate receipts, load splits, mixed loads, scale anomalies, delayed facility confirmations and disposal reported as diversion.

Diversion and circularity metrics

• Verified diversion rate = verified non-disposal mass ÷ eligible measured waste mass. Define exclusions and whether energy recovery counts separately.
• Reported diversion rate may include contractor declarations pending confirmation and MUST be labeled accordingly.
• Reuse rate = mass or count of reused items ÷ eligible total, with a declared denominator.
• Recycling rate = confirmed recycling mass ÷ eligible measured mass. Transfer-station intake alone is not sufficient.
• Mass balance = inbound mass − sum of known outgoing streams ± documented inventory or measurement adjustments.

Landfill avoidance is not automatically equivalent to negative emissions. Treatment-specific emissions and substitution effects require independently sourced, appropriately bounded calculations.

Transport and facilities

Support transport legs with actual fuel or vehicle-kilometres, payload allocation, distance method, route geography, fuel or energy type, backhaul assumptions, vehicle class and factor reference. For shared trucks, declare the allocation basis: mass, volume, distance, stop_count, direct_metering or other.

A facility record includes a stable identifier, operating jurisdiction, verified permitted activity where available, accepted material categories and evidence of processing status.

Validation rules

A validator SHOULD:

• reject incompatible mass and volume aggregation without conversion metadata;
• flag gross weight lower than tare weight;
• flag two loads referencing the same facility ticket unless explicitly split;
• flag a claimed 100% recycling without final-outcome evidence;
• flag a regulated waste stream mapped to an unqualified destination;
• flag salvaged materials also included in new-material procurement without an explicit replacement event;
• flag allocation fractions totaling more than 1.0 for a shared physical load.