Hazardous Waste Avoided (PI2073)

This metric is intended to capture hazardous waste avoided as a result of substituting recycled materials in the organization's products and services. Organizations should report the total amount of hazardous waste avoided for all products and services delivered or developed during the reporting period.

Hazardous waste is defined as refuse that could present dangers by contaminating and polluting the environment. It requires special disposal techniques to make it harmless or less dangerous. Specific classification of hazardous waste, which organizations should footnote, is typically defined by local legislation.

Organizations that offer recycling services should report hazardous waste avoided as a result of the organization's delivery of hazardous waste recycling services.

In some contexts, this metric can serve as an indicator of whether the outcome being sought by an investor or organization is occurring (the WHAT dimension of impact). For more on the alignment of IRIS metrics to the five dimensions of impact, see IRIS+ and the Five Dimensions of Impact (https://iris.thegiin.org/document/iris-and-the-five-dimensions/). No single metric is sufficient to understand an impact; rather, metrics are selected as a set across all dimensions of impact. When possible, the selection of metrics to measure and describe the five dimensions should be based on best practice and evidence.