Executive Summary

Waste collection is one of the few city services that touches every household, every day. Yet in many cities, performance is still judged using indirect indicators such as vehicle deployment counts, manual supervisor reports, or citizen complaints. These methods provide delayed and incomplete insight into what actually happened on the ground.

GPS-based vehicle tracking and geo-fencing allow cities to measure waste collection objectively. However, technology alone does not guarantee better outcomes. Cities must track the right KPIs, calculate them consistently, and embed them into operational and contractual decision-making. This article explains which waste collection KPIs truly matter, how to calculate them, and how city authorities should use them to improve service reliability and accountability.

Why Waste Collection KPIs Need Rethinking

Many cities suffer from KPI overload. Dozens of indicators are tracked, but few influence real decisions. Others rely heavily on complaint volumes, which reflect failure only after it impacts citizens.

Effective waste KPIs must satisfy three conditions:

• They must verify service delivery, not just activity

• They must be calculable using GPS and geo-fencing data

• They must support daily operations, SLA enforcement, and planning decisions

KPIs that do not meet these criteria rarely improve collection outcomes.

Designing KPIs Around the Collection Process

Waste collection is fundamentally a route-based service operating within defined geographies and time windows. GPS and geo-fencing allow cities to measure performance at each stage of this process.

A well-designed KPI framework should:

• Be route and zone centric

• Compare planned versus actual execution

• Support trend analysis over time

• Be defensible during audits and disputes

Core Waste Collection KPIs With Formulas

Route Completion Rate

This KPI measures whether planned collection routes were fully executed.

Formula:
Route Completion Rate (%) =
(Number of routes completed as planned ÷ Number of routes scheduled) × 100

Explanation:
A route is considered completed when the vehicle traverses the full planned route geo-fence within the defined service window.

Decision use:

• Daily service verification

• Identifying underperforming contractors or wards

Zone Coverage Compliance

This KPI verifies whether all assigned collection zones were actually serviced.

Formula:
Zone Coverage Compliance (%) =
(Number of geo-fenced zones serviced ÷ Number of geo-fenced zones assigned) × 100

Explanation:
A zone is considered serviced when the vehicle enters the geo-fence and remains for the minimum defined dwell time.

Decision use:

• Ward-level monitoring

• Detecting skipped or partially serviced areas

Missed Collection Incidents

This KPI captures failures where collection did not occur as scheduled.

Formula:
Missed Collection Count =
Total assigned zones − Zones serviced within scheduled time window

Explanation:
This KPI highlights service gaps that directly affect citizens.

Decision use:

• SLA penalty triggers

• Priority corrective action planning

On-Time Collection Rate

This KPI measures adherence to scheduled collection times.

Formula:
On-Time Collection Rate (%) =
(Collections completed within scheduled time window ÷ Total scheduled collections) × 100

Explanation:
Time windows should be defined per route or zone based on operational realities.

Decision use:

• Schedule optimisation

• Shift and workforce planning

Route Duration Variance

This KPI compares planned route duration with actual execution time.

Formula:
Route Duration Variance (%) =
[(Actual route duration − Planned route duration) ÷ Planned route duration] × 100

Explanation:
Large positive variance indicates inefficiencies or delays. Large negative variance may indicate skipped service.

Decision use:

• Route redesign

• Load balancing across vehicles

Vehicle Idle Time During Service Hours

This KPI highlights productivity loss during active service periods.

Formula:
Idle Time Percentage (%) =
(Idle time during service hours ÷ Total service hours) × 100

Explanation:
Idle time is calculated when vehicle speed remains below a defined threshold for a minimum duration outside disposal or service zones.

Decision use:

• Productivity improvement

• Detection of misuse or operational issues

Unauthorised Route Deviation Rate

This KPI tracks deviations outside approved routes or zones.

Formula:
Route Deviation Rate (%) =
(Number of unauthorised route deviations ÷ Total routes executed) × 100

Explanation:
Unauthorised deviations are movements outside approved geo-fences beyond allowed tolerance.

Decision use:

• Compliance enforcement

• Driver training and route refinement

Verified Disposal Compliance

This KPI ensures waste is disposed of at authorised facilities.

Formula:
Disposal Compliance (%) =
(Number of trips entering authorised disposal geo-fences ÷ Total disposal trips) × 100

Explanation:
This KPI prevents illegal dumping and supports environmental compliance.

Decision use:

• Regulatory reporting

• Contract compliance evaluation

Complaints per 1,000 Households (Contextual KPI)

Complaints should be used as a supporting indicator, not a primary KPI.

Formula:
Complaint Rate =
(Total waste-related complaints ÷ Total households) × 1,000

Explanation:
This KPI helps validate system data and identify perception gaps.

Decision use:

• Cross-checking GPS-based performance

• Communication and service improvement planning

Aligning KPIs With Decision Cadence

Different KPIs serve different management layers.

Daily operations:

• Route completion

• Zone coverage

• Missed collections

Weekly reviews:

• On-time performance

• Route duration variance

• Idle time

Monthly and contractual reviews:

• Disposal compliance

• Deviation rates

• Trend analysis by ward and contractor

Aligning KPIs with review frequency prevents data overload and improves actionability.

Common KPI Design Mistakes Cities Make

Tracking kilometres driven instead of service delivered
Using averages that hide repeated failures
Defining KPIs without geo-fence validation
Changing KPI logic mid-contract
Reviewing KPIs without authority to act

KPIs without consequences do not change behaviour.

Embedding KPIs Into Governance and Contracts

KPIs must be formally embedded into governance structures.

Cities should:

• Define ownership for each KPI

• Link KPIs to SLA penalties and incentives

• Establish dispute resolution using data as evidence

• Include KPIs in contract renewals and extensions

When KPIs are contractually enforceable, compliance improves rapidly.

How Revverco Consulting Can Help

Revverco supports cities in designing waste collection KPI frameworks that are measurable, enforceable, and scalable.

We help city authorities:

• Define GPS and geo-fence–enabled KPIs

• Align KPIs with SLAs and procurement documents

• Design dashboards and reporting workflows

• Establish governance and review mechanisms

• Transition from monitoring to optimisation

Our focus is on operational control and service reliability.

Conclusion

Waste collection performance cannot be managed without measurement, and measurement is ineffective without the right KPIs. GPS-based monitoring and geo-fencing allow cities to move beyond assumptions and complaints toward verified, data-driven service management. Cities that track the right KPIs consistently are able to enforce accountability, optimise operations, and deliver cleaner, more reliable urban environments.