How Much Food Waste Can You Create in 5 Months?

I started composting for the first time when I moved to the City.

That does not sound like it should be an accurate statement, right? But it is! You can learn more about how I started to compost in this previous post.

compost-bucket6

 

It wasn’t until a few months ago that I decided to start keeping track of how much food waste I was collecting in my composting bucket. To do so, I first weighed an empty bucket with my hanging scale. Then when it was time for me to put out my bucket for pick up, I would weigh it again and subtract the weight of the empty bucket, leaving me with the correct amount of weight.

August through December of 2016, I diverted 51.36 pounds of organic waste from the landfill!

That is only the measurement of me (and sometimes K) contributing for only 5 months of the year. Think of what we could do in a whole year!

My bucket and I have now been through all the seasons together. In the spring, I kept a potted plant on top of it. In the summer, the bucket smelled a bit when it was opened so I tended to do that outside. In the fall, we were happy campers, and in the winter we have already worked through some freezing and thawing cycles.

Jazzed up my bucket with a potted plant in the summer
Obviously this photo was not taken in December
Warming up inside during winter

I am so glad to have started this composting journey. Not only have I learned a lot, but everyone else around me has learned a lot whether they wanted to or not. K’s friends even ask him how the composting is going. I know it’s in jest, but at least they are talking about it!

12 comments

  2. We are pretty fortunate here in Norway, as we have a separate “trash can” for composting material. The county empties them once a month, and treat the compost material separate from all the other trash. So we “sort off” do compost, we just don’t have to do it in our homes 😀

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      1. They are pretty good with that stuff here, we have separate trash cans for paper, food waste, plastic in addition to the regular trash.

        + down the road at the food store they have bins for glass and metal boxes/cans + a Salvation Army box for clothing and shoes, and in the store they have boxes for batteries and light bulbs.

        And any electronic stores will take old electronics that don’t work anymore.

        And I’m extra fortunately as the main recycle plant have a receiver plant 5 minutes down the road.

        So we can’t blame anyone but ourselves if we don’t recycle 😏

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  3. I’m surprised by the amount. Maybe we should do the same! Do they pick up your composting along with the other trash? We only get recycling, green waste, and trash. We have to compost ourselves (which we do). I wish our trash service included it. And I have those same sandals!! Love them!!

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