Waste Measurement Methodology

If you are a hotel or other type of accommodation, you can collect waste data, and measure and report waste by using the “Hotel Waste Measurement Methodology” (HWMM) developed jointly by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenview, supported by an industry working group from leading hotel brands and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.

The methodology contains a series of steps to support the user to:

  • Develop a standard set of waste metrics and waste factors, including food waste, by hotel type and geography;

  • Prepare brands and independent operators to confidentially and consistently measure and report weights for their overall and food specific wastes;

  • Set waste goals against which they can track process.

 1. Establishing the boundaries of the inventory

Before calculating the waste and/or food waste of a property or portfolio, it is necessary to define the boundaries of the dataset intended to be collected to align the inventory with industry standards. This means defining what is included and what is not included, so that it is clear what the data represents, which is important when it comes to comparisons between properties or companies.


There are four boundaries to be considered:

  • Temporal boundary: what is the timeframe the data will cover?

  • Organizational boundary: how much of the organisation’s operations are included in the data?

  • Waste boundary: what types of waste/food waste are included or excluded in the measurement?

  • Waste destination boundary: what destination are included and excluded from diversion?

  • Floor area boundary: what is included in the floor area calculation?

 2. Identifying measurement metrics

This includes common comparable metrics and additional metrics which may be used if required such as:

  • Total waste and food waste generated (metric tons)

  • Total waste and food waste per square meter (kilograms)

  • Waste and food waste diversion rate (%)

3. Data collection and extrapolation

This section details the procedures to collect data and fill data gaps that will inevitably exist after gathering all primary property level data. There are three stages to the data collection and extrapolation process:

  • Collect primary data (property information, waste and diversion/destination data)

  • Identify and fill data gaps where possible to establish the `Base Data Boundary´

  • Extrapolate for the properties which do not fall within the `Base Data Boundary´

4. Verifying and auditing results

This section sets out the best practices for verifying data and auditing results. This includes:

  • Physical audit and inspection of waste sources and weights on property to ensure that the different types of waste are identified and measured correctly and

  • Desktop audits of calculations, assumptions, boundaries, and source data corresponding to publicly reproted figures.

5. Reporting inventory results

This section outlines the inventory requirements for transparent, standardised waste and food waste reporting.

Acknowledgements: 

“Hotel Waste Measurement Methodology” (HWMM) developed by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenview, supported by an industry working group from leading hotel brands and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.