Data Tracking

Municipal Measurement Program

Delivered by The Recycling Partnership and Re-Trac Connect

The FRWD program supports waste diversion data tracking in the Front Range through the Municipal Measure Program (MMP). The program provides local governments decision-making tools and program performance, benchmarking, and recommendation reports that can boost waste diversion capacity and success. All municipalities, counties, and solid waste districts in Colorado are encouraged to participate.

By completing the MMP’s program assessment surveys, participants can generate reports to measure program performance and discover opportunities to improve waste and recycling programs. The MMP uses standardized terminology that empowers participants to benchmark performance metrics against national averages. The program also simplifies data management by centralizing all waste and recycling program information. Data collected in this program will help measure statewide performance and gain greater visibility into local efforts to reduce waste across the state.

The MMP is hosted in Re-TRAC, a web-based software system developed by Emerge Knowledge Design, Inc. The program is free to use and is now collecting data for calendar years dating back to 2014. On average, the program assessment surveys only take 30 minutes to complete. Once the surveys are complete, participants will unlock a suite of program performance and benchmarking reports such as:

  • Annual trend: Monitor your annual performance metrics to analyze trends and identify opportunities to make program adjustments.

  • Pounds per household: Analyze the pounds of waste, recycling, and yard and food waste generated by each household served by your agency’s programs.

  • Annual tons per program: Measure the total tons of recycling, MSW (municipal solid waste), and organics captured by your curbside, drop-off, and public space collection programs.

  • Pounds per household compared to the U.S. national average: Compare your agency’s pounds per household recycling performance to the U.S. national average.

Since this data is so important to developing a holistic view of waste diversion efforts and next steps for communities to contribute to Colorado’s waste diversion goals, all new local government recycling grant contracts will require grantees to enter information about their community waste diversion efforts in the MMP surveys.

In addition to the standard surveys provided by ReTRAC Connect, the FRWD board of directors has commissioned an additional MMP survey called the Colorado Community Recycling Report (CCRR) to address some specific data gaps uncovered by the recent Eco-Cycle data study. This survey asks communities about their roll-off services and special event collection for a spectrum of discards ranging from electronic waste to construction and demolition (C&D) materials to scrap metal.

Next steps for Municipalities and Counties