Publication Summary

This paper discusses the importance of performance indicators and data tracking in measuring success toward the Beyond Waste vision.

This background information paper for the Beyond Waste Summary Document discusses need for effective and reasonable ways to measure how successful Washington is at reducing the use of toxic substances and the generation of waste as an important component of the Beyond Waste Project. The paper acknowledges that some data collection efforts need to be improved and new ones developed. This future system will need to be much broader and more comprehensive than Ecology′s existing data tracking systems and performance measures. Just as the beyond waste strategy is more than just managing and disposing of wastes, the new tracking system must also look at the toxins and resources that are used when materials are input into the economy and as they are transformed into products and structures used in our daily lives. The paper identifies issues that limit the ability of Ecology and others to measure progress toward the Beyond Waste vision, identifies goals and an action plan for the future.