"You can't improve what you can't measure" – this certainly applies to any sustainability initiative, particularly those that are to be communicated publicly.
Quite often, the implementation of WM's management program provides a client with its first opportunity to aggregate information from its dispersed locations in a consistent and understandable format. From this data collection exercise, key sustainability measures such as disposition (recycling, landfill, incineration) can be determined and from that a baseline carbon footprint of the current solid waste management approach can be modeled. From this baseline, increases in landfill diversion and recycling can be quantified and related to greenhouse gas reductions and other environmental benefits. WM's Waste Generation Report provides material-specific information on a high level of granularity (by material, by location, by month) to facilitate calculation of GHG reductions through EPA's WARM model.