What’s a Rubbish Audit?

Exactly what it sounds like: you decide what categories of detritus/rubbish/litter you are going to count, and what the perimeters of the area for counting are, and you launch a team to document unique instances of the offending matter. You could do this with a checklist on paper, or you could find a more efficient way to collect and categorize your data as you perform your audit. We did the latter this afternoon, with surprising initial results (final counts will be tabulated and reported within days). What was most revealing was the bias-busting early numbers. Whereas I expected a completely different category of rubbish, it may be gum stains, cigarette butts and random small pieces of litter rather than needles and human or animal waste, that contribute most to filth on our sidewalks. Once we have digested and analysed the data, we will share the results with the community, and ask the critical question: where do you want us to focus? What offers the best return on our investment? WATCH THIS SPACE!