Strategy
Product recycling rate
Helps managers answer: To what extent are we minimising the environmental impact of the products we produce or sell?
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Product recycling rate vs Waste recycling rate
These models cover closely related ground. Compare their purpose, scope, practical guidance, and supporting resources to choose the better fit.
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Strategy
Waste recycling rate
Helps managers answer: To what extent are we recovering our waste for reuse or recycling?
Read articleChoice logic
Use this when.
Use it to answer the key performance question: “To what extent are we minimising the environmental impact of the products we produce or sell?”
Answer the performance question: “To what extent are we recovering our waste for reuse or recycling?”
Extracted signals
Strengths, limits, and pitfalls.
Product recycling rate
- Decide explicitly how packaging will be treated. For a short lived product, product and packaging may enter the waste stream together and can be reported within one calculation. For a long lived product, report separate product and packaging rates so the timing difference does not distort performance.
Watch for
- Do not divide current year recycling by current year sales when products remain in use for a long time. Match recovered products to a defensible estimate of the population reaching end of life, and avoid treating collection, export or energy recovery as proven recycling unless the definition expressly allows it.
Waste recycling rate
- Start with the few material streams that account for most mass, cost or impact. Reconcile supplier and recycler records, disclose estimates and improve measurement over time rather than delaying action while pursuing false precision.
Watch for
- Do not celebrate a rising recycling rate if total waste is increasing, material is downcycled or reported recycling is not verified at the final destination. Prevention and absolute impact remain the higher priorities.
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Application bridge
Related templates.
Product strategy quality checklistA practical template / form addressing this question: Does a product strategy make differentiated, evidence-backed choices rather than describe a vision or plan?VP Product role scorecardA practical template / form addressing this question: What must a VP Product deliver in strategy, talent, discipline, and cross-company process?Change Request FormChange Request FormContract Closeout ReportContract Closeout Report