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

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List respondents who compost more yard waste tend to have started composting before the FoodScrap Recycling Program was implemented (87%). Respondents who compost more yard wasteare more likely to say that the Food Scrap Recycling Program has had no effect on theircomposting (65%) while in the overall only 40% say this program had no effect on theircomposting. When asked to rate overall satisfaction with their current bin on a scale of 1 to 5,with 1 representing very satisfied and 5 representing completely dissatisfied, 68% of those whocompost more yard waste ranked themselves a 1, which is more than the overall level of ‘verysatisfied’ (56%).The respondents who compost more yard waste tend to think harvesting their compost isextremely easy (49%) when ranking their experience on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 meaning extremelyeasy and 5 meaning extremely difficult, compared to 33% of the overall List composters rankingease of harvesting a 1. Frequent yard waste composters also tend to strongly disagree (62%) thata waste cart makes it unnecessary to compost.RDDComposters from the RDD sample compost a higher percentage of yard waste than food waste.Thirty-four percent (34%) of respondents compost fifty percent or more of their food waste,while forty-two percent (42%) compost fifty percent or more of their yard waste. Even thoughyard waste is composted more, the frequency at which it is composted is less than food waste.Since the number of people who compost in the RDD sample is quite small, running a food andyard waste frequency segmentation supplies very statistically insignificant details. Therefore,this segmentation was only run on the List sample which provided more composters for analysis.Length of Time CompostingListOver two-thirds of composters from the list have composted for over a year, specifically twentyninepercent (29%) for one to five years, thirteen percent (13%) for five to nine years, andtwenty-seven percent (27%) for ten years or more.RDDOver four-fifths of composters from the RDD sample have composted for over a year,specifically 28% for one to five years, 17% for five to nine years, and 41% for ten years or more.Among composters who have composted ten years, 51% are between the ages of 35 to 54, and51% have lived at the same address for more than fifteen years. Long-time composters tend tolive in the Berkeley area (31%).Page 18ACWMAEMC 05-3307Composting Survey Summary (Draft)
Length of Time Composting Using Current BinListThere is roughly a fifty-fifty split between composters that have been using their current bin forless than one year (47%) and those that have been using their current bin for more than one year(51%).RDDOnly 16% of composters from the RDD sample have been using their current compost bin forless than one year. Thirty-four percent (34%) have been using it for one to five years, twentypercent (20%) for five to nine years and nineteen percent (19%) for ten or more years.Satisfaction with Current BinListIn general, active composters from the List sample appear to be very satisfied overall with theircurrent compost bins. On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is “Very Satisfied” and 5 is “CompletelyDissatisfied” 56% of List respondents report they are a 1; another 16% rate themselves a 2 onthis scale. The mean of overall satisfaction is 1.93.When it comes to the durability of their current compost bin, List respondents are just assatisfied; on the same 1 to 5 scale, 58% rate themselves as a 1, and 16% rate themselves as a two,leading to an overall mean of 1.89.Only 30% of active composters from the List sample report that they have had particularchallenges using their bin. These challenges include that the bin is “hard to manipulate” (39%),“doesn’t fix properly” (39%), or that “screws and attachments break off” (27%). Both compostbin owners and worm bin owners report that “worms don’t eat fast enough” (32%). Theremaining two issues are both pest related – “worms crawl into the bottom/get out” (22%) orother “pests and animals gaining entry” (20%). Interestingly enough, those who only use acompost bin report problems with worms escaping while those who use only a worm bin do notreport this problem at all.An impressive 81% of active List composters think they got a good deal on their bin.RDDWell over half of RDD composters feel that their bin was a good deal (60%) and only 4% feelthat their bin was overpriced.Active composters from the RDD sample are also very satisfied overall with their currentcompost bins, though to a slightly lower degree than List composters. It must be noted that thischange in degree is due to a higher percentage of “Don’t know” responses, rather than anPage 19ACWMAEMC 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 and 14: Compost Method UsedListThe vast maj
Page 15 and 16: Respondents who purchase through an
Page 17: How Often / How much Composters Com
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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