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School Compost Savings Calculator — How It Works

School Compost Savings Calculator

School Compost Savings Calculator — How It Works

Estimates how much food waste can be diverted to compost and the CO₂ emissions avoided.

How it works

  1. Enter how much food waste your household or organization produces per week, in kilograms.
  2. Enter what percentage of that waste you can realistically divert to composting.
  3. The tool calculates the weekly and yearly amount diverted, and the estimated CO₂ emissions avoided.

Formula

Diverted (kg/week) = Food waste (kg/week) × (Diversion rate ÷ 100)
CO₂ avoided (kg/year) = Diverted (kg/week) × 0.5 × 52

Example

10 kg of food waste per week, with 50% diverted to compost, diverts 5 kg/week (260 kg/year) and avoids about 130 kg of CO₂ per year.

Notes

Food waste sent to landfill decomposes anaerobically and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Composting instead avoids most of these emissions — 0.5 kg CO₂-equivalent per kg composted is a commonly used estimate, though actual figures vary by waste composition and composting method.

Try the School Compost Savings Calculator — instant results in your browser, no sign-up.

FAQ

Is this free?

Yes — the School Compost Savings Calculator runs entirely in your browser, no sign-up required.

Are these figures exact?

The calculator performs the math precisely from the numbers you enter, but real-world rates, emissions factors, and efficiency figures vary by location and equipment — treat results as planning estimates.