Auditing My Trash (and you should too!)
I audited my trash for the past 7 days (list below for accountability). Here’s what I learned about the waste I produce from it:
I fill up my trash can VERY quickly (1.5 kitchen size bags in a week, which includes my partner’s trash that I did not log)
The majority of what I currently throw away is compostable, so figuring out a way to compost would be a logical next step to reducing my trash (options right now are limited because of COVID but w/e)
Some items like the plastic cups and straws are in my trash because I was out and about and didn’t have a reusable alternative with me (or I don’t have one at all)
I threw away a lot of things that I could have refused, like condiment packets and plastic utensils that came with takeout orders. I’m using up some of the packets that are for condiments I regularly use, but going forward I can keep stuff like that which I know I’ll never use out of my home in the first place by refusing them in the delivery instructions
The last significant category in my trash is food and other product packaging, which is an area to explore in the future for me.
Here’s how I did it:
Every time I threw something out, I wrote down what it was. I didn’t include anything I recycled.
I tried not to change my habits significantly, in an effort to get an honest picture of my trash habits
At the end of the week, I went through and categorized my trash, based on type of thing/why I threw it away
Trash Audit: 8/23-8/30
Amount of bags: 1.5 (includes trash I didn’t produce)
*=something I’m working through my current supply of and have a sustainable switch to make after I use the disposables
Italics= compostable (can be eliminated by working out a composting solution)
Bold=Non-recyclable plastic (can be eliminated by finding alternative products)
Red=things I could’ve refused (can be eliminated by actually refusing them and/or carrying a sustainable alternative)
* Cut flowers
* Paper towels: 5
* Butter (not packaged)
* Liners*:2
* Napkins: 10
* Dust/crumbs/hair from sweeping/dusting: 3
* Plastic apple bag
* Apple core: 2
* Chip bag
* Plastic straw: 2
* Straw wrapper: 2
* Starbucks cup
* Starbucks lid
* Takeout containers (compostable): 2
* Ketchup container/ketchup
* Plastic utensils (biodegradable): 2
* Bandaid
* Flosbrush head: 2
* Cotton rounds*:4
* Q-tip: 4
* Tea bag wrapper
* Tea bag
* Peanut shells: 3 servings
* Paper plates: 2
* Pizza box
* Ice cream sandwich wrapper: 3
* Hair from drain: 3
* Muffin paper: 2
* Tissue from muffin
* Sauces (no container)
* Wrapper from naan (paper/aluminum)
* Cupcake plastic wrap
* Mushroom Saran Wrap
* Coffee grounds/filter: 7
* Tissues: 3
* Serum container: 2
* Strip from resealable bag
* Frozen peas bag
* Chocolate bar paper
* Chocolate bar foil
* Polenta wrapper
* Shipping envelope
* Ice cream container
* Garlic peels
* Soy sauce packets*:4
* Strawberry tops
* Ketchup packets
* Utensil pack napkins: 3
* Cotton balls: 2
* Toothpaste tube
* Plastic from tissue box
* Frozen greens beans pouch
* Plastic cups: 3
* Strawberry tops
* Guac (inside one of the plastic cups)
* Ice cream cup
* Plastic spoon
* Biodegradable burrito bowl
