Service

Zero Waste to Landfill Validation

Our Zero Waste to Landfill Certification recognizes companies that handle waste in environmentally responsible and innovative ways.

UL Solutions Waste Diversion and Zero Waste Services

Organizations face increasing pressure from customers, regulators and stakeholders to substantiate waste diversion and zero-waste claims. Yet fragmented approaches, inconsistent methodologies and varying reporting practices can make it difficult to demonstrate and communicate performance.

UL Solutions provides third-party Waste Diversion Rate Validation, Waste Reduction Validation and Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWTL) services to help organizations evaluate performance across facilities and regions. These services support a range of waste reduction and diversion objectives.

Supporting your waste reduction journey

Waste generation and waste mitigation have become key issues in the transition toward a circular economy.  According to UNEP's Global Waste Management Outlook 2024: Beyond an Age of Waste, global municipal solid waste generation is projected to increase by nearly 70% to 3.4 billion metric tons by 2050. With less than 20% of waste recycled globally, interest in zero waste strategies continues to grow.

Businesses are seeking to reduce waste-related risk while also meeting customer and stakeholder expectations. Independent validation can help organizations substantiate waste-diversion claims and communicate performance through documented results.

A pathway from waste diversion validation to zero waste

Organizations require varying levels of assessment, validation and recognition at different stages of waste diversion maturity. UL Solutions offers a portfolio of waste diversion services to support organizations throughout their journey:

Waste Diversion Rate Validation – For organizations below or outside Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWTL) thresholds that need credible, transparent diversion performance claims.
Zero Waste to Landfill program – For facilities achieving at least 90% landfill diversion and seeking Silver, Gold or Platinum recognition.
System and multi-site pathway – For organizations seeking consistent governance, assessment and reporting practices across multiple facilities or complex operations.
Waste Reduction Validation – For organizations focused on reducing total discarded material, not only diverting waste from landfills.

What is evaluated?

Independent of the service selected, UL Solutions may review documentation and data related to:

Material flows and waste inventories
Diversion calculations and supporting data
Recycling, recovery and disposal records
Waste hauler and material handler documentation
Waste management procedures and policies
Site-level and centralized reporting records for multi-site programs

These services focus on monitoring and measuring material flows that are not part of an organization’s final product at the facility level. UL Solutions considers multiple waste diversion pathways within its assessment framework, including:

Reduction
Reuse
Recycling
Composting
Incineration with energy recovery (waste-to-energy, WtE)

Materials sent to landfill or incinerated without energy recovery are not considered diverted. UL Solutions applies a standardized methodology to support consistent assessments across facilities, regions and global operations.

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Materials that are not diverted are considered disposed of and go to the landfill or incineration without energy recovery.

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Benefits of independently assessed waste diversion performance

Organizations can realize a range of reporting, documentation and performance-management benefits through waste diversion programs, including:

Credible waste diversion claims supported through independent, third-party assessment
Documented results that help substantiate waste diversion performance
Reduced reliance on limited landfill space
Enhanced corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting and stakeholder communications with documented waste diversion metrics
Improved consistency and visibility into material flows across facilities, regions and waste diversion programs

Zero Waste to Landfill Services

Our Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWTL) services are designed for facilities achieving high levels of landfill diversion and seeking third-party recognition of their performance. Organizations can qualify for Silver, Gold or Platinum designation based on landfill diversion rates.

To prepare for this program, organizations should maintain documentation such as waste inventories, diversion calculations, waste data records, material handler information and waste management procedures. Organizations managing multiple facilities may also benefit from centralized reporting and site-level management records.

UL Solutions follows a structured process that includes:

Application and scoping
Documentation and data evaluation
On-site audit
Technical review and decision
Ongoing surveillance

Facilities that achieve a landfill diversion rate of at least 90%, excluding waste incinerated without energy recovery, may qualify for recognition under the ZWTL program.

Silver – 90% to 94% landfill diversion (including WtE)
Gold – 95% to 99% landfill diversion (including WtE)
Platinum – 100% landfill diversion (including WtE)

UL Solutions also offers readiness assessments and training to help organizations understand the requirements of UL 2799, Sustainability Criteria for Waste Diversion and Zero Waste to Landfill, evaluate available documentation and identify gaps against the criteria. 

UL 2799 Criteria for Zero Waste to Landfill

Visit these other pages for a more comprehensive about offering related to waste management.

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Sustainability and Environment

We help companies mitigate risk and earn trust among stakeholders to whom companies demonstrate health and sustainability in their product lines, facilities and supply chains.

Circular Economy Services

Embrace the future of design, creating a circular economy strategy to benefit all stakeholders.

Working together to protect the environment through environmental claim validations

Environmental Claim Validation (ECV)

ECV provides independent validation that products live up to the environmental claims their manufacturers make and may help you increase consumer confidence and brand credibility.

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UL 2799 Environmental Claim Validation Procedure

Our Zero Waste to Landfill and Landfill Waste Diversion claim validations recognize companies that handle waste in environmentally responsible and innovative ways.