Most people are unaware of how much trash they generate.
Here are some statistics:
- According to the EPA, The total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the U.S. in 2018 was 292.4 million tons or 4.9 pounds per person per day. Only a portion of that (about 32%) gets recycled or composted.
- Marylanders exceed that, averaging 7 pounds (YIKES!) per day (MD Dept of the Environment), with less recycling.
- The Frederick County landfill is filling up, so most of waste is trucked out of state to other landfills. This system is costly, inefficient and unsustainable.
Think you’re better than average? Take the
We challenge you to carry with you, in a bag, all the trash you generate in just one day (Earth Day, April 22). Anything and everything you would normally put in a trash bin goes in the bag. You can, of course recycle and compost items, provided they are placed in an appropriate bin. (now THERE’S an incentive to recycle and compost!)
As incentive, we’ll award one person a $50 gift card to Common Market (where you can find lots of bulk items that generate less trash).
Will you take the Cowork Frederick Earth Day Challenge?
Get a bag – we recommend a fairly large and strong one. For just one day (Earth Day April 22), put anything and everything you would normally put in a trash bin in the bag. We encourage you to recycle and compost what you can (no cheating – haha), provided items are placed in an appropriate bin. (now THERE’S an incentive to recycle and compost!)
On Earth Day (April 22), post a picture of you and your bag of trash in Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #coworkfrederickearthday.
One winner will be randomly chosen from all who post.