Database design for zero waste reporting
I help community‑led resource recovery centres track materials, calculate diversion from landfill, and report clear results to funders – without spreadsheet overwhelm.
Based in Aotearoa New Zealand, working with community resource recovery centres and zero waste projects.
What I do
Data Hub
I turn messy spreadsheets into one simple data hub for collections, tonnages, and diversion rates.See your impact at a glance with Live dashboards you can drop straight into funder reports, grant and contract applications.Spend less time chasing numbers and more time running your reuse, repair, and recycling projects.
The "Pressure Test" (Workflow Audit)Typical approach:Reviewing the current workflow from first handling to the final report.Tracing the data's journey. Finding "pressure drops" with jumping between different spreadsheets, inconsistent data entry or data capture leaks.Locating the Sludge: Where does the data get "dirty"? Is it a specific spreadsheet, form, step or other hurdle/capability?Installing Regulators: Set/Change workflow and forms that force data into the right "valves" (fields) before it ever reaches the database.
The "Quick Fix" via ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load)What is ETL?
Extract (Get the Data):
Pulling data from spreadsheets, usually with lots of 'dirty data'.
Transform (Clean the Data):
Filtering out useless rows, renaming fields, or formatting dates and currencies so they are readable.
Load (Place the Data):
Clean data is presented in Live Dashboards.Why is ETL Important?
Single Source of Truth: It consolidates data from "silos" to give a complete view of operations.
Data Quality: Ensures analysts work with clean, consistent, and reliable data.
Decision Support: Provides a historical context and structured data for reporting tools, dashboards, and collaboration.
About Me
Anja O'Connor
Precision-driven data for the Zero Waste sectorI arrived in New Zealand from Germany in 1999. I combine a 25-year background in accounting with a passion for sustainability to clean up "dirty data" in the circular economy. I move organisations away from fragmented spreadsheets and toward a "Source of Truth" that makes impact reporting accurate, transparent, and actionable.