Do you not know exactly how much waste is released within your organization? And do you spend a lot of time collecting the right data? Digitizing data on waste streams can provide a solution.
In this blog you can read about what this means, what benefits it brings - from cost savings to better compliance - and how data on waste streams (in short: waste data) can help you control what, where, when and how waste is collected, processed and reported.
What is digitization of data on waste streams?
Digitization of waste flow data means using technology to gain insight into how and where waste is generated within your organization. Instead of manual records in Excel or paper disposal slips, digital tools provide instant and reliable information. This allows you to see more quickly which processes can be set up more efficiently - for example, by preventing the emptying of half-full containers. On that basis, you can look for more sustainable alternatives in a more targeted way.
The advantages of digitizing about waste streams in the food industry
Digitizing data about your waste streams can be of added value. Consider the food industry, for example. Waste data at one of our partners showed that a large amount of rejected chips were generated every day, partly due to packaging errors, production surpluses and products that did not meet the quality standard. The chips were often still in the original bags and went straight into the container, after which they were disposed of as 
residual waste.
In cooperation with Milgro, we investigated how this waste stream could be retained as a raw material, instead of ending up as residual waste. The solution chosen: a shredder that reduces the chips directly at the source.
Because the chips were now shredded separately from the packaging, they can be safely used as animal feed. Digitalization of waste data here made it possible to identify unnecessary residual waste. With this insight, the stream has been given a new function within the chain, and valuable raw materials are preserved.
Compliance through digitization of data on waste streams
Preparing reports for laws and regulations requires detailed and reliable waste data. Does your organization need to comply with the CSRD directive? If so, collecting data on waste streams can be time-consuming and error-prone. Digitization makes this process easier and more efficient- as the following practical example from one of our partners shows.
Dieseko Group, manufacturer of foundation materials, needed insight into the amount and impact of waste streams released at their company site for their 2025 CSRD reporting. For this, the Milgro dashboard provided reliable data-from waste volumes by material type to associated CO2 emissions. This is of great importance as it is the first time for the company to make their sustainability data public.
In addition, the data from the Milgro Dashboard provides the ability to compare older data. This makes the progress within Dieseko's waste management clearly visible. This is a good basis for reliable CSRD reporting and Scope 3 emissions calculations, which the organization is required to publish in 2026 about 2025.
Cost savings through digitization of data on waste streams
Digitization of data on waste streams helps to organize transport and processing more optimally. It provides insight into how often containers are emptied and how much waste is released per emptying. On this basis, you can search more specifically for savings opportunities, as the following example from one of our partners in the logistics sector shows.
At this location, more than 600 transports were carried out each year for the disposal of cardboard- revealed by the waste data. Because cardboard compresses, the containers quickly filled up while containing relatively few pounds. In cooperation with Milgro, two large containers were installed, equipped with a shredder. This reduces the cardboard directly at the source, allowing more to fit in one container. This leads to fewer empties, less transport and thus lower costs as well as less CO₂ emissions.
The result: the number of transports has been reduced from 600 to 200 per year. This resulted in savings of €60,000, one FTE on the shop floor was made redundant and the proportion of residual waste was halved.
This is a concrete example of how data on waste streams provides insight into where improvements can be made.
The contribution of digitizing data on waste streams in the raw materials transition
Digitization of data on waste streams not only helps to reduce waste, comply with laws and regulations and save costs. It also forms an important starting point for the raw materials transition: the change from linear to circular use of raw materials.
Among other things, the data reveal where relatively large amounts of residual waste are generated. Based on these insights, you can analyze where there are opportunities to use waste streams more sustainably - such as the potato chip bags, discussed earlier in the blog. Thanks to digitization of data on waste streams, the waste stream has regained a function within the chain as a raw material for animal feed.
By identifying optimization opportunities through data, we can ensure that fewer raw materials are lost-and can be reused again and again instead of thrown away.
The Milgro Dashboard
Complying with laws and regulations and keeping a grip on waste streams can be a challenge. Insight into goals and performance indicators makes it easier to make targeted choices. The Milgro Dashboard offers just that: insight into the quantity, processing, impact and costs of your waste. This allows you to steer on cost savings, time savings and environmental impact. This helps you work more efficiently and improve the efficiency of your waste management.
Want to experience firsthand how the Online Dashboard optimizes your waste management?
Request a free 7-day trial and discover how easily you gain insight into waste data, performance, and reports, such as the waste register and the CSRD.
Looking for more information? Book an online demo.
