Jackman’s Waste Audit Results

We did it again.  Jackman’s Eco Team conducted another waste audit.  We saved all of Tuesday’s garbage to investigate on Wednesday.  The information we gathered is really important.  We will use it to create new waste reduction projects. 

Now what you’ve all been waiting for… the total mass of Tuesday’s garbage... drum roll please… 11 kg!!!  Wow!  Last year, we had 20 kg!   Six years ago, we had 36kg!  Now we're down to 11kg.  Impressive!  Our waste reduction strategies are working!   Here is a summary of what we found in Jackman’s garbage

Recyclables - about 1 kg (should have been recycled)

Some papers/paper scraps and one cardboard box

3 juice boxes and some other drink containers

Some plastic food containers (just rinse & recycle these)

Styrofoam containers (rinse and recycle these too)

Milk bags and plastic shopping bags (yes, even bags can be recycled)

Food Waste - about 1 kg (should have been eaten or composted)

Pizza crusts, bread, half-eaten granola bars

Fruit - an apple, some grapes

Fruit scraps - banana peels, orange peels, apple cores, pear core

Even some unopened/uneaten snacks

 

Paper Towels & Other Soiled Papers – about 2 kg

(should have been composted)

Lots of paper towels and tissues (put them in the city compost instead)

A few soiled paper plates

Real Garbage - a.k.a. LANDFILL - about 6 kg (4kg less than last year)

LOTS of snack and candy wrappers (What can we do to reduce this?)

11 single-use coffee cups

Craft materials (craft sticks, pipe cleaners)

Black plastic (unfortunately, black plastic cannot be recycled here in Toronto)

Broken glue guns and broken staplers

LOTS of photocopy carbons (RISO)

Latex gloves

Plastic straws

Reusables - about 1 kg (How did these get in the garbage?)

Pencils, markers, crayons, erasers, paper clips, elastic bands, glue sticks

Marbles and Lego

A silver spoon and silver fork

Ziploc snack bags (these can be reused)

Jackman’s Eco Team is very excited!  We will use this information to inspire our waste reduction ideas.  We want everyone to be more mindful about waste.  We aspire to be 100% eco-friendly in everything we do!