Inspiration
When you go outside, there’s probably a trash can in sight. If there’s not one close by, then there’s probably trash on the floor. Among the numerous modern issues today, environmental problems are something all of us have to consider. This led us to ask ourselves, “Has waste generation worsened over time?”
What it does
Beyond the Bin is a descriptive analysis that visualizes and gathers insights on waste generation data for select U.S. states. We analyze trends across the nation for waste per capita and waste composition (e.g., disposal, compost, recycle) from 2007-2018.
How we built it
Using Excel, we filtered two datasets and summarized/aggregated them with pivot tables. Then, we visualized the summaries with charts for analysis.
Challenges we ran into
The datasets we gathered required heavy cleaning. For example, inconsistent recordkeeping for certain states caused friction as we tried summarizing the data. We then had to backtrack and decide how we wanted to address problems like missing data, defining or understanding variables, and inconsistent labeling.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- Successfully integrated waste and population data together to find per-capita waste
- Highlighted key trends in US waste generation and disposal practices
What we learned
- Total waste is rising, driven by population growth
- Waste per person has remained roughly constant
- Waste composition has not changed significantly across the decade We fell and pivoted many times, making decisions every step of the way! And with any uncertainty, there’s bound to be a challenge we have to overcome. But when combining perspectives from team members as well as being open to facing these challenges is crucial for innovative solutions.
What's next for Beyond the Bin
- Expand the analysis include more recent data when released
- Investigate specific state policies
- Build interactive visualizations on dashboard for users to explore their own state’s trend
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