Extract from questionnaire to 1000 households in Luleå, Sweden

Introduction

The Technical Administration in the city of Luleå, Sweden, distributed a questionnaire to 1000 out of 2500 households who are part of a trail project where cornstarch bags are compared to paper bags for collection of compostable waste. The trail started autumn 2002 and the final report from this questionnaire was ready one year later. This report is based on 694 incoming answers, giving an answering percentage of 69,4%. This response exceeds the lower limit to draw a general conclusion (60%).

Conclusion

The majority of the households which returned the questionnaire are more satisfied or satisfied with the cornstarch bags. The same result is found in all questions in this inquiry, concluding that cornstarch bags are easier to store, easier to handle, easier to seal, do not leak and encourages better sorting (33% state they have improved their sorting).

Households also have the opinion that smell from the food waste garbage bin is less than before. Households, who earlier had problems with bugs and worms inside or around the garbage bin, state that this problem is less since the introduction of cornstarch bags.

Results

What is your opinion of the cornstarch bag compared to the paper bag?

The paper bag is much better	1%
The paper bag is better	1%
The bags are equal	2%
The cornstarch bag is better	14%
The cornstarch bag is a lot better	82%

Have you experienced any changes with odor problems from the garbage bin since the introduction of cornstarch bags?

Smells much less	38%
Smells less	42%
Smells as before	19%
Smells more	0%
Smells a lot more	1%

How has your handling of food waste changed since the introduction of cornstarch bag?

Much easier	42%
Easier	33%
As before	24%
Worse	1%
Much worse	0%

Have your source separation changed since the introduction of the cornstarch bag?

Sorts out much better	16%
Sorts out better	17%
Sorts out as before	67%
Sorts out worse	0%
Sorts out much worse	0%

remark). For more information about this trail, please contact Eva Nordström, Head of Technical administration, Waste department of the city of Luleå. Telephone +46 920 29 30 71, e-mail eva.nordstrom@tekn.lulea.se

(In this trial BioBags corn starch bags were used together with the MaxAir ventilated kitchen basket from Polargruppen).