Waste Composition & Contamination Study
Open the bags. Find out what's actually in each stream — and where recycling is failing before it reaches the facility.
What this is
Physical sampling of each waste stream to measure contamination rates, identify misplaced materials, and document root causes of recycling failure. The output is a findings report with photographic evidence.
Contamination in mixed streams is the primary reason recyclable material ends up landfilled in the UAE. Most contractors won't tell you this, because their contract covers collection, not outcomes.
The problem it solves
Contamination problems are invisible in contractor reports. By the time a diversion failure surfaces, it has typically been embedded for months.
What included
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- Physical sampling of each waste stream
- Contamination rate measurement per stream
- Root cause identification for each contamination type
- Comparison against contractor-reported composition data
- Findings report with photographic evidence
- Recommendations for bin infrastructure changes
- Recommendations for staff training priorities
What you get
- Findings Report
- Contamination rates per stream
- Root cause analysis
- Photo documentation
- Action Recommendations
- Bin infrastructure changes
- Training priorities
- Repeat sampling schedule
Frequently asked questions
- Do you physically open the bags?Yes. Every contamination study involves physical sorting of sampled material. This is the only way to produce numbers that are independently verifiable.How often should contamination studies be done?After any significant change to operations, staffing, or bin infrastructure. For ongoing clients, we run a study quarterly and flag anomalies through the dashboard.What contamination rates are typical?In mixed-use UAE facilities without active segregation programs, we typically see 40–80% contamination in streams labelled as recyclable. This is not unusual — it's the baseline.Who it's forFind out what's actually in your streams.Facility tour. 30 minutes.