As a first test, the Garbage Project examined the waste of breads -- standard sandwich breads (16 oz. and 24 oz.) v. specialty breads (buns, muffinx, bagels, and more).

Sandwich breads were wasted at a rate of 3 to 5 percent; specialty breads were wasted at two to three times that rate, at 9 to 11 percent.

Whoa! The 1st Principle worked. This study used data from 2,114 household refuse pickups, 551 in 1974-75 and 1,563 in 1981-82 (see Wilson et al. TK).

Now Test 2: Mexican-American Waste . . .