Identifying Effective Methods to Encourage Households to Compost

Public project summary

When food decays in a landfill, it is trapped under layers of garbage, creating an anaerobic environment that causes methane to be released into the atmosphere. When food is composted, it decays in an aerobic environment, producing carbon dioxide, a much less potent green house gas, instead. Although all Palo Alto residents have been given compost bins, they are not always used. This research will investigate composting habits in response to different motivational tools, such as education about compost and fruit fly traps, in order to determine the most effective way to encourage families to utilize their compost bins.