Zero Waste to Landfill Certified

1. Assess your current waste diversion rate. Conduct an internal waste audit to determine what percentage of your facility's waste is currently being diverted from landfills. You must be at or near 98% diversion to qualify.

1. Identify and categorize all waste streams. Document every waste stream generated at your facility — recyclables, compostables, reusables, energy recovery materials, and any residual landfill waste. Hazardous or regulated waste streams may be excluded from the calculation.

1. Collect 12 months of waste data. Gather comprehensive records covering a full calendar year, including waste hauler manifests, recycling receipts, composting logs, and internal tracking records. This data forms the foundation of your certification audit.

1. Contact GreenCircle to initiate the process. Reach out to GreenCircle Certified to discuss your facility's waste profile, confirm eligibility, and receive a quote. GreenCircle will outline the scope of the audit and documentation requirements specific to your operations.

1. Submit documentation for pre-audit review. Provide GreenCircle with your 12-month waste data, disposal method breakdowns, and supporting documentation. GreenCircle will review the data to confirm the 98% diversion threshold is met before scheduling the on-site audit.

1. Undergo the on-site audit. GreenCircle auditors will visit your facility to verify waste management processes, inspect records, interview relevant staff, and confirm that diversion practices are operating as documented.

1. Receive certification and deploy the mark. Upon successful audit completion, your facility receives the Zero Waste to Landfill Certified mark, which can be used in marketing materials, product packaging, and retailer sustainability programs.

1. Maintain certification through annual recertification. Each year, repeat the data collection and audit process to demonstrate continued compliance and renew your certification.

The Zero Waste to Landfill Certification audit evaluates a facility's total waste generation and disposal practices over a continuous 12-month period. The central metric is the landfill diversion rate: at least 98% of all waste generated must be diverted away from landfills through approved pathways. GreenCircle auditors calculate this rate by reviewing the total weight of waste generated versus the total weight sent to landfill, using verified records from waste haulers, recyclers, composters, and energy recovery facilities.

Approved diversion pathways assessed include: recycling (materials sent to certified recyclers), reuse (materials redirected for secondary use), composting (organic waste processed at composting facilities), and energy recovery (waste-to-energy conversion). Each pathway must be substantiated with third-party documentation such as hauler manifests, weight tickets, and facility receipts. GreenCircle evaluates whether the downstream handlers are legitimate and whether the diversion claims are defensible.

Waste stream documentation is reviewed in detail. Auditors assess whether all significant waste streams have been identified and accounted for, including packaging waste, production scrap, organic waste, and operational waste. Hazardous or regulated waste streams may be excluded from the diversion calculation depending on applicable regulations and the nature of the facility's operations.

On-site process verification is a critical component. Auditors physically inspect waste handling areas, storage zones, and disposal infrastructure to confirm that documented practices match actual operations. Staff interviews and process walkthroughs help verify that waste segregation, labeling, and routing procedures are consistently followed. Any gaps between documented and observed practices will be flagged and must be resolved before certification is granted.

GreenCircle Certified is a well-regarded third-party certification body in the North American sustainability space, accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). Its Zero Waste to Landfill certification competes primarily with the TRUE Zero Waste certification (administered by GBCI) and UL's Zero Waste to Landfill validation. Among these, GreenCircle's offering is particularly valued in the consumer goods and manufacturing sectors, where retailer sustainability programs — especially Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly and Wayfair's Shop Sustainably — have driven significant demand for third-party verified waste diversion claims. GreenCircle's ANAB accreditation gives it a credibility edge in B2B and retail supply chain contexts where defensible, audited claims are required.

The broader zero-waste certification market has grown substantially since the mid-2010s, driven by corporate ESG commitments, retailer sustainability mandates, and increasing consumer scrutiny of environmental claims. Regulatory pressure — including the U.S. FTC Green Guides and emerging EU greenwashing regulations — has further elevated the value of third-party verified certifications over self-reported claims. The 98% diversion threshold used by GreenCircle aligns with widely accepted industry definitions of "zero waste to landfill," making it a credible and comparable standard. However, some critics note that energy recovery (waste-to-energy) is counted as diversion, which is contested in stricter zero-waste frameworks like TRUE, which prioritizes material recovery over incineration.

Demand for this certification is growing, particularly among manufacturers supplying major retailers with public sustainability commitments. The certification is most prevalent in North America, though GreenCircle's global audit capability means it is accessible to multinational operations. Companies in flooring, furniture, food and beverage, personal care, and building materials have been notable adopters. As ESG disclosure requirements tighten globally, the value of independently audited waste diversion data — rather than self-reported metrics — is expected to increase, supporting continued growth in this certification category.

GreenCircle Certified was founded in 2009 with a mission to provide rigorous, third-party sustainability certifications for products and operations — at a time when "green" marketing claims were proliferating with little independent verification. The company was established to address the growing credibility gap between corporate sustainability claims and verifiable environmental performance, offering audited certifications that could withstand scrutiny from regulators, retailers, and consumers. GreenCircle achieved accreditation from the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), which significantly elevated the credibility of its certifications in the marketplace.

The Zero Waste to Landfill certification emerged as one of GreenCircle's core operational certifications, responding to rising corporate interest in waste reduction and circular economy principles. Over time, GreenCircle expanded its certification portfolio to include product-level certifications (recycled content, recyclability, bio-based content), multi-attribute sustainability labels, and energy practice certifications. The Zero Waste to Landfill program gained particular market traction as major retailers — including Amazon, Wayfair, and others — began incorporating third-party verified sustainability certifications into their supplier and product sustainability programs, creating a direct commercial incentive for manufacturers to pursue formal certification of their waste diversion performance.