We (2 people) put out one grocery-sized plastic bag every 3 to 4 weeks. The trash is uncompressed.

We pay our neighbors a couple bucks a month to use their trash bin.

It's doable.

Composting makes a big different in that area. You only realize after you start doing it just how much organic matter would end up in the trash.

This survey is irrelevant since it does not show how many people live in the household....

I'm currently conducting an analysis of my trash on my blog, GreenerMiami (see the Trash category)

I find that it is tough to determine how much trash my household produces (2 adults), since we live in a condo and just toss it in the dumpster whenever we'd like.

Joseph's comment is incredible...a grocery sized bag once a month - that's something to work towards. Congrats.

I really wonder about the efficacy of these polls. I'm not trying to sound negative, but the only people that read a site called "Treehugger" are, well....you know what I'm getting at?

Not sure how to make the polls more effective or meaningful, but our audience is kind of biased....

Thoughts?

Corey

Ever since Seattle started taking food waste and food-soiled paper in the yard waste pickup bin (my little compost barrel couldn't hope to keep up), we're down to less than one 35 gallon trash bag/week (which I think is pretty good for two people stuck living in this over-packaged age), aside from the occasional bag full of old cat litter.

"Not sure how to make the polls more effective or meaningful, but our audience is kind of biased....

Thoughts?"

Well, obviously the polls are trying to find out more about the readers of the site, not about the general population.

Personally, I find that the most interesting part of many of these polls is the comments that they generate. Sometimes there isn't much, but at other times, they are great conversation starters.

While the polls may not represent the entire world population at large, they do provide insight into the distribution amongst Treehugger readers.

Within this community, different individuals come to the fore as examples whose lead we can follow. Outside this community, we all serve as proof that better choices are already here to be made.

My three-cents-Canadian. :-)

Andrew.

I agree with MGR, it's not like we don't have at least an idea which way a poll like this will go, it's the comments and ideas they bring about that are more interesting. And it is good for all of us "treehuggers" to see what others are doing.

I recycle plenty, although no where in my area takes cardboard/paperboard, so that's part of my waste. I compost. Indianapolis provides 96 Gallon trash bin, one per family, that they empty every week! UGH! Mine is never anywhere near full.

My household (3 busy design students in an on-campus apartment) produces a lot of trash. At least 25% of it is soiled paper takeout containers from the school's dining facilities.