1 Guelph Food Waste Research Project Vivian De Giovanni City of Guelph MWA Spring Workshop May 2014.

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Guelph Food WasteResearch Project

Vivian De GiovanniCity of Guelph

MWA Spring Workshop May 2014

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The 5 W’s

• What is the Food Waste Research Project?

• How, when and where was the project undertaken?

• Why did we conduct the project?

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Weighing the bags at the curb

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Food Waste Behaviours, Attitudes and Beliefs

• Waste overview• Identifying waste• Food Habits• Attitudes toward waste

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Demographics and Average Waste• How many people are

in your household? Average: 3.3;

Median: 3; Mode: 2;

Range: 1-9• How many children in

your home are under the age of 18? Average: 1;

Median: 0; Mode: 0; Range: 0-3

• Average total weekly waste – 31.2 kg– Clear bag – 7.1 kg– Blue bag – 11.6 kg– Green bag – 12.5 kg

• Average per capita weekly waste – 10.2 kg– Clear bag – 2.2 kg– Blue bag – 3.8 kg– Green bag – 4.2 kg

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Hshd Waste Management Behaviours

• 1) How do you dispose of food waste in your home? • a) green bag (Y 100%/N 0%)• b) garbage bag (Y 39%/N 61%)• c) backyard/indoor composter (Y 13%/N 87%)• d) garburator/sewage system (Y 12%/N 89%)• e) feed domestic / wild animals (Y 20%/N 80%)• f) take food waste directly to landfill/transfer station

(Y 15%/N 85%)

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Types of Waste

Regularly Sometimes Infrequently Never0

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Trim/InedibleSpoiledNot likeBest BeforeOver Prep

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How Do You Decide What to Discard?

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AppearanceSmellTasteBest BeforeNo one wantsDays in Fridge

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Gardens, Fridges, Shopping

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Food Waste

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Who is Responsible to Reduce Food Waste

Indiv

iduals

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Farm

ers

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ufac

ture

rs

Gov

ernm

ent

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uran

ts0

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1st2nd3rd4th5th

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Next Steps – Wish List

• Still on bags - Phase 3: collect weights from 300 hshds and follow-up survey

• Carts – Phase 1 or 2: weigh contents from 300 hshds, audit organics and garbage

• Re-weigh previous hshds, audit organics & garbage for behaviour change

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Vivian De Giovanni

Supervisor, Program Development

Solid Waste Resources

City of Guelph

[email protected]