Yep! We did it again. Another waste audit. Last week, we saved Monday’s garbage to conduct a thorough waste investigation. We sorted it, counted it, measured it, and documented it. Now we can use this data to help us figure out ways to Make Less Garbage at Jackman.
Are you ready for this? The total mass of Monday’s garbage... 24 kg... That’s slightly more than last year, but impressive nonetheless. Just a few years ago, we had as much as 32 kg of garbage. Here is a summary of what we found in this year’s waste audit.
Recyclables - about 2 kg (That`s less than last year.)
Some papers (These should have been recycled.)
5 juice boxes (That’s much less than last year. Still, these should have been recycled.)
Various food containers (For example, yogurt cups should have been rinsed and recycled.)
Lots of plastic spoons and forks (They can be reused or recycled.)
Various plastic bags (Yes, most bags can be recycled.)
Used markers (We collect these in rm 215 and take them to Staples for ‘special’ recycling.)
Food Waste - about 2 kg (That`s a lot less than last year.)
Some bread and a half eaten sandwich (Remember our motto... Just Eat it!)
Fruit - For example, apples, grapes (These should have been eaten or composted.)
Fruit scraps –For example, banana peels (These should have been composted.)
Paper Towels & Soiled Papers - about 5 kg (That’s slightly less than last year.)
LOTS of paper towels from bathrooms
(We need to expand the green bin program to include bathrooms.)
Paper towels from classrooms, primarily kindergarten & daycare rooms
(Let’s encourage everyone to use the city compost more often.)
Real Garbage - a.k.a. LANDFILL - about 13 kg (Yikes... that’s 5 kg more than last year!)
LOTS of snack wrappers and chip bags (What can we do to reduce this?)
Lots of ‘Dixie’ cups (Reusable cups are best.)
18 coffee cups (This is more than last year. Reusable mugs are best.)
Photocopy carbons
Laminated posters (Did these really need to be laminated?)
Lots of craft materials, like string, lace, beads, glue, fabrics, table cloth, etc
(We need to think of better ways to have arts and crafts activities.)
Sand (Sand belongs in the sandbox, not the garbage.)
Pencil shavings, dust, dirt
Reusables - about 2 kg (This is also more than last year.)
Pencils, erasers, markers, sidewalk chalk
(We need to pick them up before they get swept away.)
Plastic food containers (These should have been washed and reused.)
2 rolls of tape
Several party hats, still in the package
A plastic caddy (Update: Iraj said he would use this caddy.)
And surprisingly... 2 Halloween Costumes and 3 plastic pumpkins
Now let’s use this information to help us with our waste reductions efforts. Together, we can Make Less Garbage at Jackman!
