Amount of waste reduced during the reporting period as a result of the organization's services.
Organizations should footnote all assumptions used. See usage guidance for further information.
This metric is intended to capture waste reductions that result from services the organization delivers. For example, an auto parts aftermarket recycler might report waste avoided as a result of recycling used auto parts. Such waste reduction might include efforts to reduce (i.e., using fewer inputs), reuse (e.g., repurposing rather than disposing or recycling excess inputs or unwanted outputs), or recycle (e.g., through established systems or through on-site processing) materials or energy through the services provided by the organization.
Organizations wishing to report waste reductions achieved through their operations should report Waste Reduced (OI7920). Organizations wishing to report on waste reductions achieved through the production and sale of products should report Waste Reductions from Products Sold (PI5926).
In some contexts, this metric may help measure the HOW MUCH Depth dimension of impact, which helps estimate the degree of change in outcome that the stakeholders experienced. 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.
June 2022 - IRIS v5.3 Released (current version)
Immaterial change. Minor revisions to definition and usage guidance for clarity.
January 2020 - IRIS v5.1 Released
No change.
May 2019 - IRIS v5.0 Released
No change.
March 2016 - IRIS v4.0 Released
New metric. Waste Reductions from Services Sold (PI5678) was developed via the IRIS Taxonomy Group.
IRIS Metrics Work Better in Sets
To use IRIS metrics—and the resulting data—to understand impact performance, IRIS metrics should be used and analyzed in generally accepted sets and according to well-defined objectives. IRIS+ gives you access to generally accepted Core Metrics Sets aligned to common Impact Themes and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).