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Hawthorne's Bag-It and Tag-It vs. Westchester's Curbside Recycling System

CSEF · 2002 Environmental Engineering

Brigitte D. Buehler · Westchester Neighborhood School, Westchester

Overview

Objectives/Goals My project was to see which recycling works best at reducing trash that ends up at a landfill in two different cities. Methods/Materials I picked 10 households in Hawthorne and Westchester. I explained a little about my project and gave them each a letter. The letter told them what they had to do. They had to measure the height of the trash and recycling with a measuring tape (cm) (that I gave them) before trash day and record it on the data sheet. I also gave them a questionnaire and main items page. The main items page is what they mainly threw away. I measured each curbside trash can to find the volume. Results My results were measured in cubic meters of trash of three types of trash: household recycling, yard waste recycling, and other trash (which goes to the landfill). Westchester residents recycled 0.26 cu. m. of household items and 0.13 cu. m. of yard waste weekly; they threw away 0.17 cu. m. of trash which went to the landfill. Hawthorne residents recycled 0.13 cu. m. of household items and 0.21 cu. m. of yard waste weekly; they threw away 0.24 cu. m. of trash which went to the landfill. My results showed that Westchester recycled more household items and threw away a lot less trash to the landfill. Conclusions/Discussion The house hold recycling was an extremely significant difference according to my two-sample t-test, showing people recycle more in Westchester. For yard waste, there was no significant difference at all. My conclusion is that Westchester#s curbside recycling system works better than Hawthorne#s #bag-it and tag-it# system at reducing trash that ends up at a landfill. People don#t seem to recycle as much when they have to make an effort to find a bag and tag it.

Summary statement

My project is to see which recycling system works best at reducing trash that ends up at a landfill, and Westchester 's curbsideside recycling system worked better than Hawthorne's "Bag-It and Tag-It" system.

Help received

My mom helped glue the papers on my board and my next door neighbor let me use her computer.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2002 Environmental Engineering · Entry J0806

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