Waste and Recycle in Household

By: Roxanna Herrera

Abstract

This preview contains researched data in a household for six people. It was designed to

study how much waste was through and recycled materials actually being recycled. It also

continues to have examples of foreign countries with their own recycling methods, destructions

caused by not recycling and over waste productions. It also will explain the benefits of different

recyclable methods that occur in California and how these changes help the environment as well

as fixing the household habits and personal behavior.

Introduction

This study was not only done to see how much waste and recycling is done at home but

as well to see if there is trash that can be furthered recycled and be used for something else. This

was done to help provide further information on how to improve the recycling done in a

household as well as what can be done to eliminate waste from being burned adding to the

damage in the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

In doing this study there has been data found that most of what is considered to be trash

can be further recycled and used to benefit human society and help improve the environment.
This data was taken into consideration when doing the study and it does have some valid points

on the current recycling done in households now versus how it can be better. The issue with it

however is trying to get people to actually recycle to benefit not only this generation but the

future generations.

Studies done worldwide can help understand just how massive this issue is and what

stance some of the people have taken with it. In Portugal the locals have put the environment as

priority in need of help but it isnt something well thought of in America (Oom do Valle et al

2004). China has had a study done to not only provide an entire country whose population is

massive but their environment is suffering greatly from the developments of big companies and

new building, they have improved some air quality in Beijing but even so the damage is so

severe certain precaution is needed to help prevent further damage to their water supply, air and

land (Lui and Diamond 2005).

Recycling is considered to be something that isnt really thought about its human nature

to just recycle, it also connects with the human personality (Oom do Valle et al 2005). Theres

also the chance that recycling and waste products can be linked to what goes on in the household

itself, the presence of children can change the recycling habits into something more to promote

good environment care or that sometimes incentives are used to promote but essentially bribe the

people to actually recycle (Vicente and Reis 2008). A study has shown that waste can be limited

if people are charged. A study done in Sweden charges to have the waste products removed

effectively decreasing the amount of waste produced and influenced the increase in recycling

done (Barteling and Sterner 1999). Sri Lake study considers the amount that is produced for a

400 sample data from there the data was then taken to understand what waste was produced to

contribute to composition generated (Bandara el at 2007).

 During this study the waste being produced was taken into consideration to see if it

would be possible to recycle the waste even further to decrease the amount of trash produced.

The prediction of this further recycling can indeed be useful in the sense that certain waste

products would not only benefit the environment but humans as well. The question asked was to

see if trash can be used differently, for example the use of rotten fruits and vegetables couldnt

those be used as compost for crops or soil.

Methods

In the process of collecting data for this study it was required to have a scale to weigh the

trash being thrown away as well as weighing the recyclables. A box was needed to calculate the

volume for the trash produced. The weight for both in grams to keep it within the metric system,

volume centimeters cubed. This was done for a period of fourteen days in a constant to notice the

differences produced within such a close time frame. Keeping track of what was recycled within

the citys recycling system as well as ones own extra knowledge to increase recycling done in

the household.

Results

Table 1. This table shows the mean mass for both trash and recycled along with the

standard deviation, standard error, 95% confidence interval, lower and upper confidence

intervals.

Mass x (g) s (g) SE Ci LCi UCi

Trash Mass 1422.3 1680.8 449.4 898.8 -523.5 2321.1

Recycle Mass 464.35 1143.9 305.9 605.8 141.45 1070.15

 Table one is the result of fourteen days trash and recyclables but closely more compacted
as it is the mean produced in the study period.

Table 2. This table shows the mean volume for trash and recycled along with the standard

deviation, standard error, 95% confidence interval, lower and upper confidence intervals.

Volume x
(cm3) s (cm3) SE Ci LCi UCi

Trash Volume 49884 15857.7 4240.02 8480.04 -41404 58364.04

Recycle
Volume 4569.6 2620.2 700.6 1404.2 -3168.4 5970.8

Table two the result of volume from both trash and recyclables. And is once again
compacted to produce the mean for the period of fourteen days.

Figure 1. The mass and volume are shown for comparison between trash weight and recycled
weight. Trash has volume higher than recyclables but as far as weight the results are pretty even.
Figure 2. The 95% confidence interval of trash and volume in terms of mass (g) and volume
(cm3) very close to each other in mass wise but volume trash still is much more than recycle.

Discussion

Once the study was complete the results were not surprising to see that trash surpassed

recycles. The results help see the data more clearly and efficiently to determine the outcome and

the best way to help prevent these same results from happening again. But not only households

can help reduce the amount of waste, most places are taking part in helping increase the

recycling done. Colleges like CSUB have taken the initiative in promoting recycling, but to

actually get a clear message to the younger generation a message would have to connect what

where and how rather than just the why, the why is important but the need to help get the

message across to younger people isnt necessarily hard its more to the motivation to persuade

them to help the environment(Kaplowitz el at 2009).

However just recycling the different waste into different storages can mean that its going

to be burned when it can be used for more. Bakersfield list consists but not limited to bottles,
phone books, cardboard etc. but however they dont recycle styrofoam which is something found

frequently in trash cans. Certain trash has other purposes and can be reused in a more efficient

way, rotten fruit and vegetables can be compost, paper reused as pencils or more paper, streets in

Finland are taking the recycling level up and using plastic bottles for street material.

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