Waste and Recycling Weight Log

Who this is for

What left the site, weighed and sorted by stream. Each line records the waste stream, the container it went in, the weight and whether it was recycled, keeping a running total as it goes and working out the recycled share at the foot.

Kitchens, workshops, shops, sites, schools and community buildings weighing their own waste, and anyone reporting recycling figures to a head office or a landlord.

What this helps you track

• Weight by stream, so the heavy streams are obvious
• Which container or skip it went into
• The ticket or carrier reference for each collection
• A running total down the page, without adding up at the end
• The recycled share of everything weighed on the sheet

How to use it

1. Write the site, the period and the units you weigh in at the top — kilograms, pounds or tonnes, but one of them only.
2. Weigh at the point the waste leaves the area it was made in, before it goes into a shared bin.
3. Fill one line per container, bag or collection: the stream, the container, the weight and the ticket reference if there is one.
4. Tick the recycled column for streams that go for recycling or composting where you are.
5. The recycled weight, the running total and the recycled share fill in on screen and in the workbook.
6. Keep the transfer paperwork for collections with the sheet.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Which streams count as recycled?

That depends on your waste contractor and on the arrangements where you are — the same material is recycled in one place and not in another. Tick the column according to what actually happens to it, and note your contractor's terms at the foot.

Do I need scales?

Some sort of weight is what makes the log useful. Platform scales, a hanging scale or the weights on the carrier's tickets all work, as long as you use the same source consistently and say which in the notes.

How does this differ from a waste transfer log?

A transfer log records collections and the paperwork that goes with them. This one records weights as waste is produced, by stream, which is what you need to reduce it rather than just to document it.

Can I use it for food waste in a kitchen?

Yes, and many kitchens do. Use the stream column for preparation waste, spoilage and plate waste separately — the pattern is usually more useful than the total.