MMMMMMKAY.
So together, food scraps and yard clippings add up to about 23% of America's annual waste. That's a bunch. According to the EPA (same website as below, reputable, etc.), 56.9% of the yard clippings are actually sorted out and composted! At least that was the number from 2000, and that was ten years ago, I wonder if that number has grown!
However, the number for food scraps is much lower, only about 2.6 percent of the 14.1% is sorted out and composted. But then again, are you surprised? I was surprised that any of it was. It must be really hard to sort out food scraps, especially when they are put in the regular garbage that mixes with all the other landfill-able stuff. It'd be really difficult to get the last remaining egg shells off that broken computer monitor... and if it were your job, would you consider it worth it? Probably not.
That's why I believe that composting at home is a really great solution, it just hasn't been popularly discovered yet. I'm not quite sure why. It's easy, kind of fun, and you get great fertilizer! Did you know that the same type of compost you can make can sell for up to $100 per ton? Once I thought about it, $100 doesn't sound like a whole bunch for 2,000 pounds... but then again, it's kind of like dirt. Dirt that's worth a lot. Dirt that is bagged and sold at retail level, that you might buy overpriced, that you could actually make yourself WHILE SAVING THE WORLD!
Seriously. With that logic, who wouldn't be down for composting? You don't even have to do it with worms if you don't want to, that just makes it go faster. Worms also make composting more accessible inside (like an apartment or dorm room) due to their temperature needs. If done correctly, your compost shouldn't give off any odors at all and will leave you with nice, rich compost. Perhaps people are afraid or disgusted with their own trash, and that I can understand. But really people-- admit that you produce it. We are all part of the problem and we can all do something to help!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Post #9- EPA MSW Data
Hmm... okay, so I was hunting around for more relevant information and on the EPA website I got great numbers that I want to share. I don't think I could get the actual graph, but I can copy it and provide a link.
According to the EPA at this web address- http://www.epa.gov/waste/nonhaz/municipal/index.htm
America produces almost 250 million TONS of MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) per year. In 2009, the most recent data published, America produced 243 million tons of MSW. This amounts to 4.3 pounds of waste per person, per day. Wow. I haven't finished my week yet, but even with my limited data and Owen's data I know that that sounds bogus. I haven't even produced 1 pound of trash in a day, let alone 4! I would understand more if this number included every waste we produce, including biological, and different wastes I don't think about, like food wastes at a restaurant that go unused from the meal I order... but number "consists of everyday items we use and then throw away, such as product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint, and batteries. This comes from our homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses", not whole hog. Just stuff we throw away.
Now that number then may automatically factor in all of the stuff I don't think about, restaurant waste and business and school waste, hospital waste (although this number does not include hazardous waste). Perhaps it merely takes all the MSW of America and then divides it by the number of people here that generate it. Even so, I am astounded. That's a lot of trash! And about 50% of it gets landfilled. 50%! That's a lot... how much of it has to be there? How much could be made differently, so that it is recyclable, or better yet, biodegradable?
The figures stack up thusly: BEFORE RECYCLING, percentages of the 2009 MSW 243 million tons--
Paper and paperboard: 28.2%
Plastics: 12.3%
Metals: 8.6%
Rubber, leather and textiles: 8.3%
Wood: 6.5%
Glass: 4.8%
Other: 3.5%
And now more importantly:
Food scraps: 14.1%
Yard trimmings: 13.7%
How many of that doesn't need to be in a landfill?? I understand that a lot of that food matter can't be composted due to other contaminants such as grease, meat, dairy products, etc. but what about yard clippings? Yes this is before recycling, and thus also before any composting, but how much of it is actually pulled out and then composted? Sounds like quite a job to me. It'd have to be really organized.
According to the EPA at this web address- http://www.epa.gov/waste/nonhaz/municipal/index.htm
America produces almost 250 million TONS of MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) per year. In 2009, the most recent data published, America produced 243 million tons of MSW. This amounts to 4.3 pounds of waste per person, per day. Wow. I haven't finished my week yet, but even with my limited data and Owen's data I know that that sounds bogus. I haven't even produced 1 pound of trash in a day, let alone 4! I would understand more if this number included every waste we produce, including biological, and different wastes I don't think about, like food wastes at a restaurant that go unused from the meal I order... but number "consists of everyday items we use and then throw away, such as product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint, and batteries. This comes from our homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses", not whole hog. Just stuff we throw away.
Now that number then may automatically factor in all of the stuff I don't think about, restaurant waste and business and school waste, hospital waste (although this number does not include hazardous waste). Perhaps it merely takes all the MSW of America and then divides it by the number of people here that generate it. Even so, I am astounded. That's a lot of trash! And about 50% of it gets landfilled. 50%! That's a lot... how much of it has to be there? How much could be made differently, so that it is recyclable, or better yet, biodegradable?
The figures stack up thusly: BEFORE RECYCLING, percentages of the 2009 MSW 243 million tons--
Paper and paperboard: 28.2%
Plastics: 12.3%
Metals: 8.6%
Rubber, leather and textiles: 8.3%
Wood: 6.5%
Glass: 4.8%
Other: 3.5%
And now more importantly:
Food scraps: 14.1%
Yard trimmings: 13.7%
How many of that doesn't need to be in a landfill?? I understand that a lot of that food matter can't be composted due to other contaminants such as grease, meat, dairy products, etc. but what about yard clippings? Yes this is before recycling, and thus also before any composting, but how much of it is actually pulled out and then composted? Sounds like quite a job to me. It'd have to be really organized.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Post #8-- Owen's Data
Owen collected and weighed all the waste he generated over the course of a week: I present his findings thusly.
DATE RECYCLABLE TRASH COMPOSTABLE R COMPOSTABLE T
Sun 4/10 1.1 Oz 0 oz 1.7 oz 0 oz
Mon 4/11 1.8 oz 0 oz 1.0 oz 0.8 oz
Tue 4/12 2.5 oz 0.9 oz 0.7 oz 1.2 oz
Wed 4/13 0.6 oz 0 oz 1.1 oz 0.4 oz
Thu 4/14 1.3 oz 1.7 oz 0.9 oz 0.1 oz
Fri 4/15 1.1 oz 0.2 oz 3.8 oz 0 oz
Sat 4/16 1.4 oz 1.9 oz 1.0 oz 0 oz
TOTAL RECYCLABLES: 9.8 oz. AVERAGE PER DAY: 1.4 oz
TOTAL TRASH: 4.7 oz AVERAGE PER DAY: .67 oz
TOTAL COMP. R. 10.2 oz AVERAGE PER DAY: 1.45 oz
TOTAL COMP. T. 2.5 oz AVERAGE PER DAY: .36 oz
TOTAL WASTE: 1 lb. 11.2 oz AVERAGE PER DAY: 3.89 oz
TOTAL TRASH ON WEEKENDS: 1.9 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKEND DAY: .95 oz
TOTAL RECYCLABLES ON WEEKENDS: 2.5 oz
AVERAGE PER WEEKEND DAY 1.25 oz
TOTAL COMPOSTABLES ON WEEKENDS (all Comp-R) 2.7 oz
AVERAGE PER WEEKEND DAY 1.35 oz
TOTAL WASTE ON WEEKENDS 7.1 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKEND DAY 3.55 oz
TRASH ON WEEKDAYS 2.8 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY .56 oz
RECYCLABLES ON WEEKDAYS 7.3 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY 1.46 oz
COMP. R. ON WEEKDAYS 7.5 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY 1.5 oz
COMP T. ON WEEKDAYS 2.5 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY .5 oz
TOTAL COMPOSTABLE ON WEEKDAYS 10 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY 2 oz
TOTAL WASTE ON WEEKDAYS 1 lb. 4.1 oz
AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY 4.02 oz
DATE RECYCLABLE TRASH COMPOSTABLE R COMPOSTABLE T
Sun 4/10 1.1 Oz 0 oz 1.7 oz 0 oz
Mon 4/11 1.8 oz 0 oz 1.0 oz 0.8 oz
Tue 4/12 2.5 oz 0.9 oz 0.7 oz 1.2 oz
Wed 4/13 0.6 oz 0 oz 1.1 oz 0.4 oz
Thu 4/14 1.3 oz 1.7 oz 0.9 oz 0.1 oz
Fri 4/15 1.1 oz 0.2 oz 3.8 oz 0 oz
Sat 4/16 1.4 oz 1.9 oz 1.0 oz 0 oz
TOTAL RECYCLABLES: 9.8 oz. AVERAGE PER DAY: 1.4 oz
TOTAL TRASH: 4.7 oz AVERAGE PER DAY: .67 oz
TOTAL COMP. R. 10.2 oz AVERAGE PER DAY: 1.45 oz
TOTAL COMP. T. 2.5 oz AVERAGE PER DAY: .36 oz
TOTAL WASTE: 1 lb. 11.2 oz AVERAGE PER DAY: 3.89 oz
TOTAL TRASH ON WEEKENDS: 1.9 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKEND DAY: .95 oz
TOTAL RECYCLABLES ON WEEKENDS: 2.5 oz
AVERAGE PER WEEKEND DAY 1.25 oz
TOTAL COMPOSTABLES ON WEEKENDS (all Comp-R) 2.7 oz
AVERAGE PER WEEKEND DAY 1.35 oz
TOTAL WASTE ON WEEKENDS 7.1 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKEND DAY 3.55 oz
TRASH ON WEEKDAYS 2.8 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY .56 oz
RECYCLABLES ON WEEKDAYS 7.3 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY 1.46 oz
COMP. R. ON WEEKDAYS 7.5 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY 1.5 oz
COMP T. ON WEEKDAYS 2.5 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY .5 oz
TOTAL COMPOSTABLE ON WEEKDAYS 10 oz AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY 2 oz
TOTAL WASTE ON WEEKDAYS 1 lb. 4.1 oz
AVERAGE PER WEEKDAY 4.02 oz
Post #7 Almost There and Still Here
Hiya, everybody!
While it looks like I was taking a very long break, I have been busy. My AP Biology teacher also advised me to change the immediate tone of my project, making it more about what I can do rather than attempt to change the world immediately. I feel better, I can calm down :)
So, what I've done it had my friend Owen collect his trash for a week, and I am currently undergoing the same process. Owen cleverly made a system for himself, dividing the waste he generated into four categories: Recyclables; Trash; Recyclable-Compost; Trash-Compost.
The recyclables, of course, will follow the pattern I already explained, they would be picked up, shipped by Waste Management to the plant in Avon where they are baled and sorted and shipped out again to truly recycled: incorporated into something new.
The Trash is what we can't recycle OR compost. These are the items that will end up in a landfill no matter what. Diapers, for instance. Or styrofoam, if your region doesn't recycle it. (Newton does, but you have to make sure it is free of all food matter and then make a trip to the Rumford Ave. facility yourself, definitely a turn off for many residents, unfortunately.)
Compostables go into two categories: recyclables and trash. I shall explain.
Compost-R: It is common knowledge that paper is recyclable. Tons and tons of paper is used and recycled every day! But a lot of the paper that is recycled is also compostable... not the paper with the chemical inks, not the ones with chemical dyes or food grease and such, but lots of regular paper such as newspaper (a choice bedding for worms!). Think about it-- if you wet it a little bit, it comes apart rather easily. It decomposes. Worms really enjoy an environment with damp paper shreds and will eventually incorporate them back into the ecosystem. Therefore, since paper is compostable, yet recyclable, it goes under the Compost-R grouping.
Compost T: What do you do with the salad clippings that go uneaten? Toss them. The grapefruit rind? Toss it. The yard clippings? Toss them (or in my family's case, put them back behind the trees where we now have a pile of leaf-hummus that is coming along quite nicely). These materials, most notably food scraps, go into our trash bins and are taken away to be either landfilled or incinerated (like Newton's trash). Now comes the main point of my whole project-- how much of that material could have been composted?!? How much compostable food matter does my family toss out? How much of it is landfilled or incinerated? Because that doesn't need to be there, it could be an excellent source of food for my upcoming vermicompost.
I am currently working on formatting Owen's data for publishing and it will be up soon.
While it looks like I was taking a very long break, I have been busy. My AP Biology teacher also advised me to change the immediate tone of my project, making it more about what I can do rather than attempt to change the world immediately. I feel better, I can calm down :)
So, what I've done it had my friend Owen collect his trash for a week, and I am currently undergoing the same process. Owen cleverly made a system for himself, dividing the waste he generated into four categories: Recyclables; Trash; Recyclable-Compost; Trash-Compost.
The recyclables, of course, will follow the pattern I already explained, they would be picked up, shipped by Waste Management to the plant in Avon where they are baled and sorted and shipped out again to truly recycled: incorporated into something new.
The Trash is what we can't recycle OR compost. These are the items that will end up in a landfill no matter what. Diapers, for instance. Or styrofoam, if your region doesn't recycle it. (Newton does, but you have to make sure it is free of all food matter and then make a trip to the Rumford Ave. facility yourself, definitely a turn off for many residents, unfortunately.)
Compostables go into two categories: recyclables and trash. I shall explain.
Compost-R: It is common knowledge that paper is recyclable. Tons and tons of paper is used and recycled every day! But a lot of the paper that is recycled is also compostable... not the paper with the chemical inks, not the ones with chemical dyes or food grease and such, but lots of regular paper such as newspaper (a choice bedding for worms!). Think about it-- if you wet it a little bit, it comes apart rather easily. It decomposes. Worms really enjoy an environment with damp paper shreds and will eventually incorporate them back into the ecosystem. Therefore, since paper is compostable, yet recyclable, it goes under the Compost-R grouping.
Compost T: What do you do with the salad clippings that go uneaten? Toss them. The grapefruit rind? Toss it. The yard clippings? Toss them (or in my family's case, put them back behind the trees where we now have a pile of leaf-hummus that is coming along quite nicely). These materials, most notably food scraps, go into our trash bins and are taken away to be either landfilled or incinerated (like Newton's trash). Now comes the main point of my whole project-- how much of that material could have been composted?!? How much compostable food matter does my family toss out? How much of it is landfilled or incinerated? Because that doesn't need to be there, it could be an excellent source of food for my upcoming vermicompost.
I am currently working on formatting Owen's data for publishing and it will be up soon.
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