Summary of Composting Survey Conducted in ... - StopWaste.org

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The RDD sample has a much lower incidence of composting, which is to be expected as the List,by definition, represents the most likely composters, while the County sample reflects AlamedaCounty as a whole.RDD Bought through ACWMA at One PointWhen examining active composters in the RDD sample, EMC separated respondents by wherethey got their bin, be it through ACWMA or another source. There were three points in thesurvey at which active composters may have been asked where they got their bin; they wereconsidered to have bought through ACWMA at some point if they responded at least once thatthey had bought it through the following:• At a discount through the county (by phone, mail or website/online)• At a workshop or a one-day sale• Through the Waste Management Authority/The County/StopWaste/StopWaste.orgRemaining respondents would have acquired their bin through the following sources:• In a store or store website• Homemade• Came with my house• Other• Don’t knowIn the RDD sample, 51% (n=43) of those who bought a bin got it through Stopwaste/ACWMA,while 49% (n=41) did not get any of their bins through ACWMA/Stopwaste. Those who did notpurchase from ACWMA are more likely to compost in a pile - 63% of these respondents statethat they compost in a pile in their yard. Men were more likely to have not bought their bin fromStopwaste/ACWMA, as 68% of these respondents were male. Those who purchased fromanother source also tend to be more neutral (a “4” or responding “Don’t Know”) on theenvironmentalist scale (at 27% neutral compared to 15% neutral overall).Purchasers of compost bins through another source tend not to get information about recyclingand waste disposal from Stopwaste/ACWMA (20% state they get information through theCounty/Waste Management as compared to 42% of those who purchased through ACWMA). Itis possible that those who turned to another source (or use a pile) are less aware of Stopwaste andits programs. While those who purchased through ACWMA are more likely to have attended aworkshop on how to compost (33%), those who did not purchase through ACWMA are muchless likely to have attended such a workshop - 7% of this population report that they have doneso. Furthermore, those who purchased through another source or use a pile report that they haverecommended composting to family and friends at a lower rate (54%) than purchasers throughACWMA (70%).Page 14ACWMAEMC 05-3307Composting Survey Summary (Draft)
Respondents who purchase through another source are less likely to think quality of bin isimportant (15% rate it a 1 on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is “Not at all important” and 5 is “Veryimportant” compared to 2% rating a 1 who bought through ACWMA) and more likely tostrongly disagree that composting is too much work (56%) compared to 30% of purchasersthrough ACWMA who agree with this statement.Type of Bin Used for CompostingRespondents who had a compost bin were asked what type of bin it was and where they acquiredit, up to two bins. Those who owned a worm bin were asked where they acquired it, but not thetype. In the following discussion, it should be kept in mind that some respondents own multiplebins.ListOf the List sample, 70% said they own a compost bin. Since these respondents were asked aboutboth their first and second bin, EMC collapsed the two responses to achieve an overallexamination of bin ownership. The most commonly owned bin is the Smith & Hawken Biostackbin (42%; n=68). Fewer List respondents own a worm bin (30%; n=48), and the least commonlyowned bin amongst these respondents is the Smith & Hawken Home Composter bin (17%;n=28).Biostack bin owners tend to have composted for a longer period of time, with 37% compostingfor ten years or more, compared to 27% of the overall composters have been composting for thatlong. Sixty percent (60%) of these bin owners are women. Of all the bin types discussed,Biostack owners are the most likely to have attended a class on how to compost, as 22% reportthat they have attended a class, compared to 4% of Home Composter owners and 19% of wormbin owners.Home Composter bin owners tend to be more recent composters in comparison to the overallList sample. Twenty-nine percent (29%) of Home Composter bin owners have composted forless than six months, while 13% of the overall List sample has composted for less than sixmonths. All Home Composter owners report that they live in a single-family house. Fifty-sevenpercent (57%) have only lived at their current address for 0-3 years. These owners also tend tobe under the age of 35, at 32% under 35 compared to 21% of the overall. The 21% who reportthat they have had challenges using their Home Composter report the following problems: thebins don’t fix (ie, snap shut or lock into place) properly (83%) and are hard to manipulate (50%).Home Composter owners also seem to be more avid bargain hunters than the other types ofowners – 43% report that they look for the lowest possible price, compared to 26% overall whoreport they look for the lowest price.Worm bin owners report the most challenges using their bin, at 40%. These following threechallenges are all reported at the same rate of 42%: the bin doesn’t fix properly, the bin is hard tomanipulate, and screws or attachments break off. Worm bin owners are slightly younger thanthe overall, with 27% under the age of 35. These owners tend to have lived at their currentPage 15ACWMAEMC 05-3307Composting Survey Summary (Draft)
Page 1 and 2: Summaryof Composting SurveyConducte
Page 3 and 4: A. METHODOLOGYThe following executi
Page 5 and 6: • Current non-composters who coul
Page 7 and 8: When posed the question “Does you
Page 9 and 10: D. COMPOSTERS IN ALAMEDA COUNTYComp
Page 11 and 12: RDDIn the RDD sample, 24% are curre
Page 13: Compost Method UsedListThe vast maj
Page 17 and 18: How Often / How much Composters Com
Page 19 and 20: Length of Time Composting Using Cur
Page 21 and 22: RDDOf the 76% of the RDD sample who
Page 23 and 24: E. EFFECT OF FOOD SCRAP PROGRAM ON
Page 25 and 26: EmployedEmployment: Retired 10% 7%
Page 27 and 28: Not environmentalist 16% 7% 14% 0%N
Page 29 and 30: EMC’s recommendation would depend
Page 31 and 32: G. MESSAGINGACWMA should focus its

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