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 waste reporting is often fragmented. Companies operate under different regulatory regimes, apply varying definitions of hazardousness, and describe waste management methods in inconsistent ways. Without standardization, comparing waste data across firms, sectors, or jurisdictions becomes unreliable.
Tracenable addresses this challenge by applying clear standardization rules, ensuring that all metrics in the Waste Dataset are consistent, comparable, and aligned with authoritative references.
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. 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 2. 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.