Energy Conservation Awakening

A glimpse into the positive repercussions of composting

The Question at Hand

How many trash bags do I contribute weekly to the local dump?

Can I drastically reduce the amount of trash I produce weekly through composting?

Can monitoring my waste output influence my consumption and recycling habits?

Methodology

On average, how many trash bags exit my home weekly?

How much less trash will I produce weekly/yearly through composting?

Can composting influence me to think of other ways to reduce my waste?

Methodology Continued

Before composting, roughly 4-5 trash bags were leaving my house weekly.

4-5 trash bags produced weekly includes recycling of tin, aluminum, paper, cardboard, and plastic.

Data Collection

Originally I hoped to weigh my weekly trash output, but I would have had to purchase a scale which I felt was a waste of money.

Therefore, I calculated how many bags of trash I was producing before and after composting over a three week period of time.

Data Collection Errors

Considering the variability of cooking and eating habits, house guests, roommates, and chaotic student- teaching schedules, it can be difficult to analyze exact amounts of waste.

Ordering take-out, buying packaged items, and other consumption habits fluctuate daily, and weekly so coming up with a definite amount of waste can be complex.

Analysis of generalized Data

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Total

# of Trash Bags Before composting 4 5 4 13

# of Trash Bags after Composting 3 2 2 7

Weekly Savings 1 3 2 6

Yearly Savings 48 144 106 288

Data Comparison

According to www.wisegeek.com with the yearly garbage produced in America alone, you could form a line of filled-up garbage trucks and reach the moon.

National Geographic’s Human Footprint website offers great insight to an average Americans lifelong waste generation.

Reflections of a Filthy American

In the midst of my waste generation awakening I realized a few things:

I can trim down my waste through disciplined recycling and cancelation of my newspaper subscription.

I can lessen my waste by eliminating purchases of packaged foods and obtain my produce from Full-Circle-Farm a wonderful community supported agriculture group.

I can reduce my waste by burning my newspaper, paper, and cardboard in my woodstove which in turn reduces my gas bill each month!

I can shrink my paper yield by paying my bills online!

Waste Generation Reduction

Buying into energy conservation is a no-brainer for me, but convincing my three roommates to jump on the wagon took a bit of nagging.

Through this waste reduction journey I learned some useful tips for

Winter Composting and Composting Dog Waste.

Questions for Further Study

Is Zero Waste feasible for my household?

How much less waste will I produce this summer when I plant a garden and grow my own food?

How much will buying containers with a potential to reuse (glass rather than plastic) reduce my waste output?

How much can I reduce my trash-load by using a reusable container when I order carnitas from a local Mexican restaurant I am addicted to?

Sources

www.wisegeek.com http://channel.nationalgeographic.co

m/episode/human-footprint-3224/Overview

http://www.greensense.com/ http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/ http://www.ecosherpa.com/waste-ma

nagement/winter-composting-extravaganza/

http://www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov/compost.html