Beyond Waste home > Navigate to a plan section > Recommendation DATA1 - Consolidate all related and useful data and develop a data tracking and evaluation system

Recommendation DATA 1 — Consolidate all related and useful data collection efforts and develop a comprehensive data tracking and evaluation system for Beyond Waste and other environmental activities.

Ecology will continue to develop and improve the Beyond Waste Progress Report by consolidating related data collection efforts both inside and outside the agency, sharing methodologies, and building upon synergies in programs. Some examples are:

• Integrate the data collected under the Pollution Prevention Planning program with other data tracking efforts that feed the Progress Report.
• Integrate the solid and hazardous waste program performance measures with the Beyond Waste indicators.
• Align performance measures for Ecology grant programs containing Beyond Waste elements with Beyond Waste indicators.

Ecology and its partners must understand what is disposed in landfills, not just what is reported as recycled, so we can determine where to focus our future efforts. To gain that understanding, Ecology will conduct statewide waste characterization studies on a regular basis. These studies will serve Ecology solid and hazardous waste programs as well as other government and private sector managers and planners.

• When evaluated with waste volumes, composition information:
• Helps determine the total availability of materials for recycling.
• Helps determine waste stream quality.
• Provides data for trends analysis to determine effectiveness of waste reduction and recycling programs.
• Gives a look at consumer preferences and emerging waste streams of concern.

Ecology will coordinate with local government to incorporate relevant county and city waste characterization data and provide a venue through which local agencies and the broader public can access these comprehensive data.

Milestone DATA A: The majority of Waste 2 Resources and Hazardous Waste and Toxic Reduction staff work plan activities correspond to Beyond Waste indicators. The Agency understands how Beyond Waste indicators relate to Agency performance measures.

Milestone DATA B: A waste characterization study is completed every four years. State studies are coordinated with waste characterization studies done at the local level. (Same as SW F.)

Links and Resources

• Beyond Waste Progress Report

 

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