Conducting a Simple Home Waste Audit

Conducting a waste audit can be really easy, and gives you a starting point to make change.

How do I do it?

1. Over one to two weeks, pay attention to what goes in your general waste, recycling and FOGO bins, or what you are taking to the Transfer Station. You don't need to record everything, just look for patterns like:

• Is there a lot of single-use packaging?
• Are there items that could have been reused?
• Could this have been repaired?
• Could I have donated this instead of throwing it away?

Want to take a closer look? You could physically sort your waste into broad categories such as food waste, paper and cardboard, plastic packaging, glass, textiles and other household items.

2. Once you've identified the biggest contributors to your household waste, choose one or two areas to focus on first. Small changes such as meal planning can reduce waste over time, rather than it feeling like an overwhelming task.

3. Repeat whenever you'd like to review how you're going or want another opportunity to reduce waste.

Many hoseholds are surprised to discover that:

• Food waste is often the largest component of waste.
• Packaging can often be avoided or reduced when shopping.
• The general waste bin contains items that should be in the recycling bin.
• Many items thrown away could have been reused, repaired or donated.
• Changes in just one or two areas can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.
• Ongoing commitment to maximising what you have already and minimising waste can result in nearly no waste going to landfill.