Standardization Guidelines
Learn how Tracenable standardizes waste data by preserving company-reported classifications and applying consistent mapping rules for management methods to ensure comparability across companies.
Why Standardization Matters
Corporate energy disclosures are inconsistent. Companies report in different units, apply varied definitions of renewability, and disclose inflows and outflows in ways that differ across jurisdictions. This fragmentation makes it nearly impossible to compare energy performance reliably across firms, sectors, or regions.
Tracenable resolves this challenge by applying a systematic normalization process. All energy data points are transformed into a consistent structure, ensuring that company disclosures are comparable, auditable, and aligned with recognized statistical and reporting frameworks
The Challenge: Lack of Standardization
While some waste types are universally classified (for example, organic solvents are always hazardous) others vary depending on context. For instance, e-waste may be hazardous or non-hazardous depending on whether it contains heavy metals or other hazardous substances.
Whether a particular waste is classified as hazardous depends on three key factors:
Composition – whether the waste contains hazardous substances
Concentration limits – the levels of hazardous constituents present
Particle size – for example, glass powder may be hazardous, while glass packaging waste is typically non-hazardous
These assessments are determined by local regulations, which differ significantly across jurisdictions. As a result, the same waste type may be classified differently depending on where the company operates. This regulatory variation creates serious comparability gaps in waste reporting.
Tracenable’s Standardization Principles
Guideline 1. Normalize Units to Metric Tonnes
Companies use various units to report weight, such as kg, g, lb, or short tons. All are converted to metric tonnes (t) for consistency.
Example: A company reports 500,000 lb of hazardous waste disposed. Converted to metric tonnes (1 lb = 0.000453592 t), the normalized value equals 226.8 t.
This ensures comparability across international reporting standards and waste categories.
Guideline 2. Preserve Company-Reported Waste Type Classifications
When a company clearly identifies a waste stream as hazardous or non-hazardous, we retain that classification as reported.
This approach respects jurisdictional rules: hazardousness is determined by the regulations applicable to the reporting company.
If the hazardousness of a reported waste type is not specified or cannot be confidently determined, Tracenable refers to the foundational references (e.g., EU WFD, RCRA, Basel) for authoritative classification.
When waste type classification is clearly reported, Tracenable preserves the company’s designation rather than applying external mappings. Waste type classifications therefore remain faithful to company disclosures and jurisdictional rules.
Guideline 3. Apply a Standardized Mapping for Waste Management Methods
Waste management methods are often described inconsistently across disclosures (e.g., “thermal treatment,” “energy recovery,” “waste-to-energy”).
To ensure comparability, we standardize all reported methods into two categories: Recovered or Disposed.
This mapping follows the recovery/disposal operations defined in the foundational references, and is applied even when company terminology differs. In some cases, we may also reclassify company-reported methods to preserve consistency. For example, treating energy recovery as Disposed even when companies classify it as Recovered. Where classification cannot be determined with confidence, we retain the disclosure as reported rather than forcing a mapping.
Waste management methods are standardized globally wherever possible, enabling reliable benchmarking across companies and industries. When companies provide only partial disclosures (e.g., “total waste recovered” without specifying the recovery method), we still preserve the information as reported.