How to Perform a Waste Audit
The diary of a first-time waste auditor: How cutting down on your waste can save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Definition:
What is a waste audit?
A waste audit is exactly what it sounds like—you simply keep track of what you are throwing away for a period of time and then you have the option to analyze the results.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
I went into this fresh-faced, more than a little naive, and outrageously arrogant about my perceived “relatively environmentally friendly lifestyle”. Completing a waste audit is a marvelous way to become more conscientious of your habits, cut down on your waste, and save money. For instance, just by reducing my paper towel consumption, I can prevent 50 lbs of trash/year and save hundreds of dollars. Please keep reading to learn exactly how much (it’s more than you think).
Below you will find a step-by-step guide on how to perform a waste audit, written right after completing my own. Spoiler alert: my top trash item was paper towels—am I actually spending that much money on absorbent pieces of paper I use for 3 seconds or less? Brutal.
1. Choose your timeline
It can be a day, a few days, a week—really whatever you want! You are the master of your fate and this waste audit. I started my audit on a Sunday and ended on a Friday. I will, again, be honest: this was challenging so if you’re worried about forgetting items over a few days, set a reminder every few hours.
2. Choose your measuring tool
You can go analog and use an actual notebook or, like me, use the Notes app on your phone. It is important to keep in mind that you will be continuing your waste audit on the fly, out in the real world, so make sure your chosen tool is portable.
3. Record your output
Each time you throw something away, write it down; each time you throw away a recurring item, add a tally mark. This got tricky for me—my list became so long that I was forgetting which items I had already written down (for instance, I noticed I had “chip bag” listed three different times). Pro tip: separate your list into categories such as location (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and public) or edible vs non-edible.
A sneak peak at my preliminary list
4. Analyze and draw conclusions
Look at which items have the most tallies—these should be your starting point to reducing waste! The top five most thrown-away items from my waste audit were: paper towels, food scraps (egg shells and apple cores were the top two), food containers (including take-out containers and cereal boxes), and cotton rounds (which I used every night to wash my face), and plastic/glass bottles.
5. Make some changes!
Start brainstorming reusable items to replace your most thrown away items or ways to recycle items so you don’t throw them away in the first place. Here are some ideas:
Food waste really piles up, yikes!
Paper towels: try out Swedish dishcloths from Ink & Fiber. This female-owned business has adorable reusable dishcloths that are dishwasher-safe. One dishcloth lasts me longer than 6 paper towel rolls and it’s cheaper too.
Food scraps: consider composting (how to compost in an apartment or a backyard) or using your food scraps (here’s a list of recipes that use food scraps).
Plastic bottles: invest in a reusable water bottle!! Bring it with you everywhere. Keep in mind that most coffee shops/restaurants will refill it for you and even give you a discount for doing so.
Food packaging: instead of plastic wrap or baggies, I recommend stocking up on Stasher’s reusable silicone bags. They’re freezer and dishwasher safe and they hold up great! Alternatively, you can also try reusable beeswax covers to keep food fresh (you can also make your own for very cheap).
Self-reflections and savings:
As the week wore on, I found myself becoming much more conscientious about my use of disposable items—by Friday, my kitchen towel was my best friend as I dreaded recording yet another paper towel. I also began to try out using wash cloths to wash my face instead of cotton rounds and committed to taking my reusable bottle everywhere. For those items whose use is hard to avoid (like food packaging), I intend to start buying some items (mostly snack foods—cereal and chips) in bulk to reduce single-use packaging consumption.
Conservative savings estimate
I crunched the numbers (I am nothing if not thorough!) to compare how much money reusable swaps save. On average, I go through approximately 50-60 paper towel rolls a year, costing me anywhere from $150-200 annually. If you currently drink from plastic water bottles like I do occasionally, a 24-pack of disposable water bottles is around $6. I go through around 4-5 bottles a week which quickly balloons to about $50 spent on plastic water bottles annually. Lastly, plastic wrap costs me about $25 per year as I go through one roll every other month. With three easy swaps, I could conservatively save myself ~$225 annually. Sustainable investments for my home and lifestyle feel expensive, but looking at these numbers helps me realize it’s not that I can’t afford sustainable living, it’s that I can’t afford to live unsustainably.
