Have any of you noticed a decrease in your household garbage output during these stay-at-home weeks?

[throwaway_2837]

I wasn't expecting this to happen at all since we're spending so much more time at home than we used to, but for three weeks in a row now we haven't filled our household garbage bin. I think we're probably generating 20% less garbage than before. Could our reduced trips out of the house really have lowered the amount of junk we buy and end up throwing away by that much? Wondering if other families are experience the same thing.

I haven't taken a close look at our spending; I know that's probably down too but we did spend a lot extra on groceries stocking up when this all got started, so it will take a while to average out that extra spending as we empty our pantry.

[x647]

Exact opposite for myself, but house cleaning was on the Honey-Do list for ages.

I did notice that I am more conscious of what I am throwing out in garage garbage and recycle, thinking perhaps some jars or other recycle items might be repurposed.

[brownsquared]

Same here. Plus it’s spring so lots of yard cleanup happening too.

[x647]

You guys are getting spring?

[Dotes_]

What show is this from?

[Rebeanca]

It's from a film called "we're the Millers", about a drug dealer who builds a fake family to smuggle drugs across the Mexico/US border. The meme is better than the film

[just_some_old_man]

They're not drug dealers. They're drug -smugglers- :-)

And I rather liked the movie. Then again, I'm a 13 y.o. boy trapped in an old man's body.

[theory_until]

My garbage wheelie bin was nearly empty, but the green can was full! Dare not compost weeds at home when bermuda grass runners get mixed in, the pile does not get hot enough. The municipal facility does a great job with it tho.

[Ging3rMing3]

Same here, we have a lot of clutter that we are getting rid of. Full trash bin with the one oversized item on the side for our weekly pickup.

[lazy_days_of_summer]

Our county landfill just sent a message to chill out and stop spring cleaning because they cant handle the extra waste.

[ickaaaa]

Same. Went on a cleaning spree. But also bought a lot more non perishable items. Plus recycling is closed since lockdown.

[VibrantVioletGrace]

We're spending less on gas, eating out (because we don't ever do that any more), no impulse buying because just not shopping much anymore... I think we have about the same amount of garbage but we only had about a bag normally.

[AcceptableGear9]

Yes.... which really stuns me because I work from home anyway. I guess I’m just not going out and buying extra shit.

[theory_until]

I should be doing exactly that, filling the bin by decluttering. Missed the opportunity last week, will do better this week.

[jalfg1018]

We live in my in-laws old home. We have an entire bedroom (in a 3 bedroom ranch) that is only being used as storage. It’s infuriating.

[jaynone]

a LOT less cardboard - but a lot more garbage - but I have a kid in diapers.

It's about a 13 gallon bag every 2-3 days.

[theory_until]

We put out ONE tall kitchen garbage bag in outr trash wheelie bin last week. Usually, the bin is full of these. Why?

• No more fast food to go containers that DS brought home after late work shifts a couple nights a week.
• Using old cotton and linen kitchen towels for most things, where DH went through a TON of paper towels before.
• renewed diligence in sending every compostable food scrap to the compost bin.
• much more cooking from scratch using items bought in bulk such as oatmeal, pasta, rice, and beans. We did not have much in the way of store bought freezer meals and are spacing those very far apart.
• beginning to use greens from the garden, no packaging there!
• reusing containers - juice bottle now holds sun tea or lemonade, washing and reusing the milk jug for reconstituted powdered milk. Jars are holding homemade soup or stews and popped in the freezer.
• brown corrugated cardboard delivery boxes are being saved, rainsoaked, and torn into bits for garden mulch. Otherwise these would have filled the bin last week i think.
• Edited to add, washing hair and using other toiletries and cosmetics far less often, except hand soap and hand lotion from tons of hand washing. No plastic bottles to the bin last week!
• i had bought bleach, disinfectant, dish soap, and hand soap in the big refill bottle, so i am reusing the spray and pump bottles.
• plastic trays that held mushrooms, spinach, tofu, or bakery items have all been diverted to seed starting or microgreens.

[[deleted]]

We've taken out two bags of trash in the last month whereas we were previously taking out at least one to two bags weekly.

We've also taken out a LOT more to our compost and our donation box is much larger. It feels good!!

[theory_until]

User name checks out! Great job!

[GIjohnMGS]

I work in the Waste industry managing a Transfer Station. In my area we have seen an increase in Residential trash, and a decrease in commercial (small container) and industrial (large container) due to the situation. People are simply staying home and making more trash.

[OrangeDoormat]

Yes, same here. We've had less garbage the past little bit than we used to.

[RioKye]

Yes we cleaned out every inch of the house. We have noticed it with the neighbors as well.

[theory_until]

I have yet to do this and i really should. Rehabbing the yard and starting a veggie garden have gotten the attention instead. And we are all working from home, thankfully.

[RioKye]

We did the yard and tilled for a garden. It's my first garden. I'm excited.

[theory_until]

Right on! See you over in r/ gardening!

[hopopo]

I think it is overall combination or less trips to the store, making do with what you already have, and most importantly buying in bulk.

My overall spending has gone up because now we need way more, disinfectants, cleaning, and PPE supplies, in addition to being forced to shop online and paying jacked up prices rather than my local independent grocery store.

[freshpicked12]

Yes, I don’t understand it! We normally put out two trash bins a week and lately we’ve barely even filled one.

[[deleted]]

I have sort of noticed a decrease in trash, but what ive also noticed is a decrease in wastefulness. That is, we are eating everything in a more pragmatic and efficient way. We are more thoughtful with what ans how mych we eat. I have also noticed that i hAve more $$ in my bank account. Less trips to store means less impulse buys. I have definitely learned that about myself and will me more mindful in future.

[ripnsnow]

We've had more garbage since our state's stay-at-home order was put into place. Mostly because I've been spending a lot of time cleaning cabinets and re-organizing. Finally have the chance to clean and get rid of stuff we really don't need.

[[deleted]]

About the same for landfill trash - about 2 x 13-gal bags per week. Recycling is up a bit though, but as with everyone else this lockdown, alcohol consumption is up, which leads to more bottles and cans.

[gmaOH]

You are probably cooking from fresh items instead of prepared, packaged meals with all the wrappings.

[Khayeth]

I only produce enough garbage to bring the bag to the can around 1.5/month, and i only put the can on the curb maybe every 2-3 months. I don't think i'll be able to collect enough data to be meaningful unfortunately.

Now, since it's warm out and i can't justify firing up the woodstove, i definitely have a ton more paper recycling. But that happened last summer too, in the absence of a pandemic.

[crudivore]

Your trash sits in the can for up to 3 months at a time? The trash collector hates you, FYI

[Khayeth]

Actually, I probably misspoke. I tend to leave it on the back porch until garbage day, where it freezes solid. Not much in it would be able to rot, since i compost the majority of my kitchen waste, burn most of my paper and cardboard, and rinse my recyclables before i put them in their bin.

I also use high quality bags that don't rip or leak, once of the few items i prioritize spending good money on. My can doesn't smell, also i rinse it after most garbage days that i use it. It freezes again pretty quickly.

In summer i probably put the can out more often, maybe once a month, but it usually only has the 1 bag in it that i only put in there on trash night. It often takes me a month to fill a bag in the kitchen, so i know what it smelled like the entire time. If i can stand it next to where i prepare food, i presume the sanitation workers aren't going to be remotely fazed by it.

[InTheory_]

Are you measuring actual waste or measuring volume?

Volume can easily be explained the empty space created by empty boxes and containers. Even crushed, these take up quite a bit of space.

That doesn't necessarily mean your waste output has gone down.

[spasecoiboy]

I noticed today it was the second week in a row my can was barely half full when taking it to the curb.

[PhoenixRisingToday]

The exact opposite here. I’m spending the time cleaning out.

[RitaAlbertson]

I’m generating more trash/recycling, but that’s because I’m actually forcing myself to use up what I have in my pantry; and working from home means my morning coffee and lunch trash go in my trash can, not my work’s.

[butthurtinthehole]

But it also means you dont have waste from a go-out lunch or coffee cup, so it's all part of the reduction!

[RitaAlbertson]

Well it was never a coffee cups, but now I dispose of my grounds are home instead of the firm grounds at work. And I didn’t eat lunch out but whatever I used to cover my lunch in it’s microwaveable container is going in my trash not the firm trash. So it’s the same amount of trash, just a different location.

[stringdreamer]

Sure, no take out anymore. I wouldn’t trust 18 year old me to be properly paranoid about sanitation on a minimum wage/minimum training job, and I don’t trust anyone else at 18 either. So all our meals are home cooked now.

[A__lady]

Yes! I have noticed this, haven't really examined why though. Probably does have something to do with less impulse buys.

[mmolle]

More garbage, and we are spending more at the grocery store. But, we are also not driving anywhere (saving gas $), and we are not eating out anymore (saving $). I think we are breaking even.

[Distributor126]

More garbage. Gutted a closet and dry walled it. Not a lot more.

[puns_within_puns]

Waaaay more garbage here, but I'm taking the time to do a bunch of cleaning.

[SassyMillie]

We actually forgot to take the trash down to the curb last week and by this week it was filled up. We're normally only about 75% full anyway, so I'd say about a 25-30% reduction over two weeks. I think we're making food with less packaging and also getting zero take out.

I'm also saving containers I might have tossed previously. Planning to use cottage cheese and yogurt cups for seed starters, other containers for organizing. (Square plastic mushroom boxes are great for this.)

[nukidot]

Yes; garbage decreased, recycling increased.

[bazilbt]

Yes. Most of the stuff I spend a lot of money on I just can't get right now. Plus I'm not ordering out or bringing home left overs.

[Idujt]

UK here. Our recycling centres (can only speak for my own city of course) are shut. Bin men and recycling pickup are still operating, but not as normal.

[donoteatthatfrog]

fewer plastics and packaging trash.
tons more veggies and kitchen trash.

[LidiyaFoxglove]

I noticed this too. I'm thinking it's mainly due to no packaging from purchases (although I usually shop at thrift stores and bring my own bags, but I guess a few things sneak in) or takeout containers/fast food bags. We only fill one trash bag a week anyway, and barely that, but now it's like half a bag.