How to Conduct a Home Waste Audit

Many of us want to get closer to zero-waste living, but it’s not always clear where to start. The first step is to first understand the problem you’re tackling. Therefore, it’s helpful to start with a home waste audit if you want to reduce home waste.

A home waste audit is exactly what it sounds like—collecting trash over a set period and taking inventory of how much and what type of waste is produced in your household.

 

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Why Conduct a Waste Audit

The average American disposes of 4.9 lbs of trash every day, according to a 2018 report. With 334.2 million people in the U.S., that adds up to a staggering 818,872 tons of garbage daily. Most of that waste is sent to landfills or incinerated, leading to several negative impacts, including air pollution, water contamination, and wasted natural resources.

Conducting a waste audit allows you to understand how much waste you produce so you can make more mindful choices moving forward. The process highlights where you could be recycling or composting and areas where you might also be over-buying for your household.

 

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Plan Your Audit

You could technically sort your waste on any given day, but you might miss some data. It’s best to make a game plan for your waste audit—below are a few ways to get started.

Consider Your Time Frame

Timing is everything. According to WM’s vice president of recycling Brent Bell, holiday events, gatherings, and summertime activities produce the highest volumes of waste. Conducting your audit during these high-volume events will not give you the most accurate read on your everyday waste. You’ll want to pick a standard, event-free week.

Another time factor is how long you want to collect trash before your audit. Most cities collect garbage weekly, so a seven-day audit might make the most sense. When determining your timeline, consider where you’ll store the trash and any perishable waste. You don’t want your waste audit to be an invitation for pests.

Determine Your Collection Method

You can choose from a few methods to perform a home waste audit. Below are three of the most common:

• Lay out a tarp and sort your garbage: This method is the most straightforward but perhaps the most messy. You’ll dig through your collected trash at the end of your chosen time frame and sort everything into categories.
• Set up bins for each category: Set up multiple containers with labels to collect various types of waste throughout the week. This method may take up a lot of space, but using small containers, such as paper grocery bags, can help keep it manageable.
• Keep a trash log: This less hands-on approach may require more effort throughout your audit. Each household member keeps a log of everything they throw away and compares notes at the end.

Make a Collection Plan for Waste Outside the House

You’ll also want to plan for the trash that leaves the house with each household member. You could have every person carry a dedicated bag to school or work to collect the garbage or have each person make a note of everything they throw out while not at home.

Decide on Categories

Before you begin, think of the categories you’ll use. If you already recycle, you may opt to only sort the unrecycled waste.

Common categories for waste audits include these:

• Cardboard
• Food waste
• Glass
• Paper
• Plastic
• Miscellaneous

Of course, this is just a starting point. Your list of categories will depend on your habits. Depending on your findings, you may need to adjust your categories as you go.

To simplify, you could sort everything into four categories:

• Curbside recyclables: Cardboard, metal, and plastic bottles
• Non-curbside recyclables: Batteries, electronics, and plastic bags
• Organic waste: Food, paper, and biodegradable materials
• Everything else: Straws, diapers, and nonrecyclable packaging

Note that although some municipalities collect glass as a curbside recyclable, others do not. Check your city’s recycling rules for how to dispose of glass.

 

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Perform the Audit

Once you’ve spent a week collecting your trash, it’s time to embrace your inner raccoon and dig through the garbage.

Gather Materials

Depending on your chosen method, you may want some of these materials:

• Gloves
• Bins for sorting
• Labels for bins
• Tarp to lay trash on

Set Up an Audit Space

While it may be tempting to sort your waste outside, it’s better to set up indoors where the wind can’t work against you. Choose a well-ventilated area with hardwood or tile floors in case of leakage.

Organize the Waste and Record the Results

Now, you’ll sort the garbage into the categories as mentioned above. You may want to be more specific with an item tally when recording. Here’s an example of how you might record your findings:

Disposal Method	Material	Item	Quantity
Curbside recycling	Plastic	Milk jug	1
Curbside recycling	Plastic	Bottles	12
Curbside recycling	Plastic	Food containers	6
Curbside recycling	Metal	Cans	8
Curbside recycling	Metal	Aluminum foil sheet	3
Curbside recycling	Paper	Mixed	25
Curbside recycling	Cardboard	Food boxes	6
Curbside recycling	Cardboard	Tubes	4
Non-curbside recycling	Glass	Bottles	9
Non-curbside recycling	Glass	Jars	3
Retail recycling	Hazardous	Batteries	3
Retail recycling	Hazardous	Light bulb	1
Retail recycling	Plastic	Shopping bag	4
Garbage	Food waste	Fruit/vegetable remains	10
Garbage	Medical	Bandages	3
Garbage	Plastic	Food packaging	4
Garbage	Wax-coated paper	Cups	3
Garbage	Plastic	Straws	3
Garbage	Soiled cardboard	Pizza box	1
Garbage	Styrofoam	Food container	1
Garbage	Textile	Ripped shirt	1

You could additionally or alternately weigh the items instead of counting the items in each category.

Evaluate Your Records

Once you have all your garbage data on paper, examining ways to cut back on waste is easier. To get the most out of your evaluation, answer the following questions:

• Did you find anything you didn’t expect about your waste volume?
• What habits produced the highest volume of waste?
• How many items could be recycled? How many go into the trash?
• Could anything have been used longer or repurposed?
• How much of your waste is from packaging?
• How many items could have been replaced with something that would have lasted longer?
• How many items could have been replaced with a more environmentally friendly option?

Once you’ve asked questions about your habits, you can start planning for sustainability moving forward.

 

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Take Action

Knowledge is power. With the information from your waste audit, you have a better idea of how to work toward a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Let’s examine a few easy ways to increase sustainability at home.

Start Composting

Composting is a relatively easy way to dispose of kitchen scraps. Even if you don’t have space for a full compost pile, you can set up a small bin in your kitchen. Compost can serve as great soil for a home garden, but if you don’t need it, you can connect with local gardeners or farmers or check out a compost service that will pick it up from your home.

Opt Out of Paper Mail

Unwanted paper mail is a frustrating source of waste because it can feel uncontrollable. You can opt for paperless communication from most businesses now, but what about junk mail?

Fortunately, the Federal Trade Commission is on your side. It offers instructions for opting out of various types of junk mail.

Take Reusable Bags to the Store

With a growing number of states banning single-use plastic bags, reusable shopping bags are becoming the norm. While paper and plastic bags are still available in most places, the most sustainable option is still taking your own shopping bag. Don’t forget about reusable produce bags, either.

If you happen to forget bags, be sure to properly recycle the store bags. Many grocery stores now have recycling drop-offs for plastic bags.

Purchase Low-Package Items

Numerous stores offer low-package necessities such as groceries, detergents, and soaps (check out refill stores). If you still want to run to the grocery store, choose individual fruits and veggies instead of bagged or packaged. Take advantage of bulk food aisles for dry goods, and don’t forget to bring your own reusable containers.

Up Your Recycling Game

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, only 32% of Americans recycle. “Access to recycling bins, inconvenience of recycling, or just confusion on what is acceptable can keep people from recycling,” says Bell. He suggests that consumers “keep recycling simple to remember what can go in the bin—paper, cardboard, bottles, and cans are a great starting point.”

Even if you’re part of the 32% of recyclers in America, there may be more you can do. Find out where in your city to take items such as batteries and single-use plastic bags for proper recycling.

You may have heard someone say that most plastic sorted for recycling never actually gets recycled, but Bell says that’s a common misconception.

“Plastics are actually some of the most valuable (or high-demand) materials in the recycling bin, and brands are really focused on using more recycled plastics in their new packaging today,” Bell says. “Recycled plastics have many second-life options—including turning recycled items into new bottles and carpet. Clothing such as shirts, jackets, and even WM uniforms are made from recycled plastic bottles, and the WM carts that are at your curbside to collect trash and recycling are made from recycled detergent bottles and plastic jugs (such as ones that previously held milk or tea).”

It’s also wise to consider how an item may be recycled before purchasing. For example, you could buy foods in nonplastic packaging and furnish your home with sustainable furniture that can be upcycled or recycled.

Don’t Get Discouraged

Single-use items are the norm, so managing your carbon footprint might initially seem like an uphill battle. But it’s worth the work. A few simple changes can make a world of difference in your home. Remember why you started this process to help you stay motivated.

 

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Our Recommendation

Home waste audits are a great way to take stock of your household’s trash production, giving you the knowledge you need to make more sustainable choices. Once you’ve audited your current habits, you can begin making more mindful choices about what comes into your home and how to properly dispose of things you no longer need.