The Collective helps students and colleges collect the data they need to make change.

About The Collective

At Return Recycling, we believe that a world without waste is possible, if we build it together. We created “The Collective,” a waste characterization app, to help educational institutions build a better understanding of the waste management systems that exist on their campus. It is designed to provide as much feedback on waste sources and recycling infrastructure as possible. Through crowdsourced information analytics we can build concrete waste reduction strategies for universities that directly engage their students, and connect them with the businesses that manufacture products we throw away.

Learn to Audit
Waste

The natural step-by-step design of The Collective teaches you how to best progress through a professional waste characterization study. Used along with our handy How-To guides and our dedicated consulting team,
The Collective makes setting up and enacting a waste audit no big deal.

Collect Better
Data

Unlike most industry-standard waste audit tools, The Collective allows its users to gather individual, itemized data - making it more like a trash census than anything else. With its automated item-by-item database supporting your research, your data is much more refined and valuable.

Get Meaningful
Metrics

With its automated in-app analytics, The Collective makes your research meaningful on a whole new level. Easily compare the results of your waste audit to past audits, other users, and even other colleges and universities. Then, put the metrics to use to create change at your school.