Skip to main content

Measuring Household Waste Production

I've decided to try to measure my household waste. All my trash ends up in a specific trash bin before I throw it out, and all my compost ends up in a specific compost bin. I take out the trash as infrequently as possible: it only happens when they're full or when they stink. So why not measure it while I'm at it?

Using the magic of my postal scale and/or my luggage scale, I measure each bin before it goes into my trash barrels. Right now I am only measuring compost and trash, because I find that easiest.

The Net Weight of my Waste

Without further delay, here is my Waste Weight log. I use grams because metric is easier in terms of the math. Just remember that 1000 grams is roughly 2.2 pounds.

Net Weight
2022-06-18: Compost.. 1594 grams
2022-06-18: Trash....  990 grams
2022-06-27: Compost.. 2712 grams
2022-06-27: Trash....  904 grams
2022-07-02: Compost.. 1288 grams
2022-07-02: Trash.... 1688 grams
2022-07-06: Compost.. 1144 grams 
2022-07-16: Compost.. 1194 grams
2022-07-16: Trash....  958 grams
2022-07-24: Compost.. 1342 grams
2022-07-24: Trash....  754 grams
2022-08-03: Trash....  956 grams
2022-08-07: Compost.. 1680 grams
 
So far, per person waste: 
 Compost.. 94 grams per person per day
 Trash.... 57 grams per person per day
 
Notes:
 - Two adults.
 - No children at home.
 - No pets.
 - [Empty Bins: Compost: 372 grams, Trash: 308 grams]

What is being measured?  What are the rules?

Trash generally includes things that I perceive to be un-recyclable and non-compostable. That includes things like plasticized or metalized paper, plastic films, quasi-paper products, soiled paper-like products, and weirder hybrid materials (think "juice boxes" and "k-cups", although I don't use those things). My general rule is that if I have reasonable doubt that something is un-recyclable, or if I have no idea what it might be made of, then it goes in the trash.

Compost includes food waste, household plant waste, paper towels soiled with non-human, non-pet, non-chemical crud, coffee grinds & filters, and other scraps

What's not being measured

The waste that I produce that is not included:

  • Things I donate, sell, or give away.
  • Recycling, including curbside or anything subject to specialty recycling, like electronics & clothes.
  • Bulk waste, like a sofa or building materials (very rare, but usually super-heavy)
  • Yard waste (leaves, sticks, etc)
  • Waste water/sewer (including soaps, various liquids, toilet paper & "bio matter") 
    • By weight, waste water is likely my largest amount of waste
  • Waste I produce while not at home (e.g., while away on vacation, at a restaurant, etc) 
  • Waste produced by consuming fuels & electricity
  • Indirect waste created to make the products I buy

I could cheat by "optimistically recycling non-recyclables" and "give away total trash", pushing my trash off to someone else. That's not my point of doing this. I am not in competition with anyone. This is just plain old me trying to realistically measure my own current impact, and to see how it changes over time, and to see if my behaviors are realistically changeable.

Other waste measurement ideas

For future consideration:

  • Electricity, natural gas, and gallons of gasoline used could be translated into a waste number.
  • Household water use could be translated into a waste number.
  • Recycling weight could be measured.

I speculate that it is probably more informative to measure the weight of all inputs (purchases) instead of outputs. But I'm starting by measuring my waste.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Fixing a SodaStream Jet, part 1: Disassembly Guide

I've had my SodaStream Jet for years, and once in a while something has gone wrong. Disassembly is the first step to repair.  Start with this article to see how to disassemble the SodaStream, and then once you have that down, scroll through my other articles to see how I repaired specfic SodaStream problems. SodaStream Jet Disassembly Guide Tools Required Flat head screwdriver Phillips head screwdriver 1. Remove the Carbonator.  Duh. 2. Remove the black panel lever The front big black tilt lever needs to be removed first. Removing this panel is tricky, but it isn't impossible. Looking up at the bottom of the black panel, there are two tabs, one on the left and one on the right. These tabs fully secure the panel in place. The trick is to use a flat-head screwdriver under the plastic to gently lever the tabs out of the way.  Note in the pictures how I approach these tabs with my screwdriver.  I usually release the left side first, and then I release the right
Read more

Fixing a SodaStream Jet, Repair #2 - Broken Fill Button

My Soda Stream Jet's fill button broke, which means I can not longer carbonate water by pressing the pushbutton. This caused all sorts of grief in my household. Here is how I managed to repair my Jet to give it another 10 years of life (hopefully). First, a look at the button The fill button on the top of the SodaStream is actually a simple lever. Pressing down on the button moves a pin that does the actual work of pressing open the Carbonator's valve. Unfortunately, the axis point is fairly thin and can see a lot of stress. That's where my Soda Stream button cracked. [ I think the usage tip here is "don't over-press the button like a gorilla, it doesn't do anything but put high stress on the button."] Cracked levering point of the button The Pesky Lever Retaining Pin The Fix It was pretty easy for me to replace the button: Take off the back of the Soda Stream and remove the carbonator. Push out the the button lever's steel retaining pin. This takes qu
Read more

Fixing my Wahl 9918 Groomsman Beard and Mustache Trimmer

Not everyone would bother repairing a $25 beard trimmer, but why not fix something for under $5 instead of spending another $25? My  Wahl 9918 Groomsman Beard and Mustache Trimmer  has admirably performed its beauty duty for many years, but the time came when the battery just wasn't holding a charge any more.  Most people would just put the trimmer in the trash and buy a new one, but I figured I could repair my otherwise excellent Wahl and save some money. In fact, even high priced trimmer and rotary shaver brands, like Norelco and Remington, can be easily repaired using a process similar to the one I used to fix my Wahl.  Read on to find out how. I opened up the Wahl by popping off the black plastic faceplate with a tiny flathead screwdriver, which revealed two screws.  By removing the two screws I was able to easily open up the unit, revealing the guts of the device. Backplate off, Revealing the screws The internals are rather simple: a motor, a simple circuit boar
Read more

Sodastream Carbonator Leakage, Usage, and Weight

SodaStream 60L "Carbonator" CO2 cylinders have a specific weight when empty, plus about 410 or so grams for the CO2 they should have when they're "full".  A little while ago I went to buy a replacement Carbonator from my local hardware store. The dealer pulled a new Carbonator out of the box and sensed it was lighter than usual.  He put the "light" Carbonator in the "empty" pile and sold me a different one.  At that moment I concluded that it would be smart of me to weigh both new and empty SodaStream carbonators.  Here are the results. Weighing a SodaStream Carbonator - for both Science and Consumer Protection.       The dealer told me that sometimes the carbonators leak after they leave the SodaStream filling facility.  That means there could be an opportunity for customers like me to get ripped off! The SodaStream cylinders I buy claim to have a net product weight of 410 grams - and that means that a full Soda Stream Carbonator shou
Read more

MacBook: burnt out magsafe connector repair

My MacBook (A1342 model from 2009-2010) stopped working, thanks to a cheap knockoff magsafe charger. The magsafe connector looked burnt with heat-distorted melted plastic and some black carbon surfaces.  Plugging in the charger resulted in no lights and no action.  My MacBook was dead. First I tried to clean up the connector with some Q-Tips, tooth picks and solvent, but that did little, as seen in this "after" picture (below).   The heat generated by the aftermarket charger permanently deformed and distorted the MacBook's magsafe connector.  Clearly the damage was significant. Burnt Magsafe Connector - Replacement Required! Looking at iFixIt , I determined that it would not be difficult to replace only the magsafe connector with the right tools.  I hoped and prayed that the problem was isolated to the connector assembly and not the logic board. I bought a replacement magsafe connector assembly (available from Amazon) for under $20 and started to replace it by
Read more

The Yamaha DD-65 and YDD-60 Digital Drums

Almost everyone I know who is into drums should get their hands on the Yamaha DD65 . It's a low cost, fun little kit that you can throw in your car to jam with your buddies. It's a lot easier than throwing your gear in your Subaru. The DD-65, also known as the YDD-60. Eight pads in a pretty package. I've owned the older, venerable DD-55 for about five years. The DD-55 is the ancestor of the newer DD-65, and is an evolution of the DD-50, which was first released some time in the mid 1990s. I just put my DD-55 on this light snare drum stand it's ready for some jamming. The classic DD-55. Seven pads of rockin' fun, since about 2001. Yes, everyone will tell you that the DD-55 isn't actually a real drum kit. No kidding. However, a skilled drummer can get some great sound out of this little box, and you can definitely keep the band together with it. Plus, it's perfect for apartment living.
Read more

Other Posts

Show more