The future of plastics lies "in the trash can," Lloyd Stouffer, the editor of Modern Packaging magazine, said at an industry conference in 1956. That caused a new problem: Too much trash. Some
Larry Buchanan, Emily Badger and DeSean McClinton-Holland walked miles around New York pondering trash, including tailing a midnight collection shift, and will never look at it the same way again
The world produces around 350 million tonnes of plastic waste each year. Estimates vary, but recent high-quality studies suggest that between 1 and 2 million tonnes of plastic
Curbside trash is a problem in NYC. Officials have a not-so-novel fix: plastic bins. Trash bags sit on a sidewalk to be picked up by sanitation workers in Manhattan, New York City in October 2023
Americans throw out 4.9 pounds of trash per person every day — that''s nearly 1,800 pounds of materials per American every year. The majority of waste (62%) discarded by homes and businesses in the U.S. is
The most effective way to prevent trash from polluting our waterways is to reduce the amount of waste you create . Replace single-use plastic packaging, bottles, and containers with reusable products or
These Facts and Figures are current through calendar year 2018. The total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2018 was 292.4 million tons (U.S. short tons, unless specified) or 4.9 pounds per person per day. Of the MSW generated, approximately 69 million tons were recycled and 25 million tons were composted.
21 October 2021 Climate and Environment. Plastic pollution in oceans and other bodies of water continues to grow sharply and could more than double by 2030, according to an assessment released on Thursday by the UN Environment Programme ( UNEP ). The report highlights dire consequences for health, the economy, biodiversity and the climate.
America Has A Trash Problem. A solution to America''s trash problem requires a paradigm shift in how we, as a country, think about waste. For that shift to happen, we need to examine the parts of the system that we don''t see every day. A new report by U.S. PIRG Education Fund finds it''s time to make our waste process visible,
Garbage Problems. Yard and food waste make up over a quarter of all the garbage going into American landfills. Composting will change that. Compostable Bags. Available Here. Tall Kitchen. Perfect for collecting food
Here are eight ways to embrace a zero waste approach: 1. Combat food waste. Some 19 per cent of food available to consumers is wasted annually despite 783
Waste management experts say the problem with plastic is that it is expensive to collect and sort. There are now thousands of different types of plastic, and none of them can be melted down
Solid waste management is a universal issue that affects every single person in the world. As you can see in our new report, What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050, if we don''t manage waste properly, it can harm our health, our environment, and even our prosperity. Poorly managed waste is
Municipal solid waste generation is predicted to grow from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050. In 2020, the global direct cost of waste management was an estimated USD 252 billion. When factoring in the hidden costs of pollution, poor health and climate change from poor waste disposal practices, the cost rises to USD 361
Osaka, Japan, 6 November 2012 - With approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of municipal waste generated each year, and volumes expected to increase to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025 according to World Bank figures, urgent action is needed to head off the threat to the environment and human health posed by this global waste crisis.. This growing problem
The numbers are staggering: There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean. Of that mass, 269,000 tons float on the surface, while some four billion plastic microfibers per square kilometer litter the deep sea. Scientists call these statistics the "wow factor" of ocean trash. The tallies, published last year in three separate
Learn how unsustainable waste contributes to climate change, wildlife loss, and public health risks. Find out how to reduce your own waste and take action for a cleaner planet.
Apparently, there is a cut-off point in the wealth to trash production relationship. In the world''s wealthiest nations, trash production has capped off at about 3 lbs of trash per person, per day. And that figure is not likely to change anytime soon. It''s this trend that causes scientists to predict a trash increase until after 2100.
Two independent studies project that plastic waste in the oceans will reach 22 to 58 million tons by 2030, unless production and consumption are reduced. The st
Learn how plastic waste is harming the environment and wildlife, and what can be done to reduce and prevent it. Find out how plastic travels around the world,
Waste management experts say the problem with plastic is that it is expensive to collect and sort. There are now thousands of different types of plastic, and none of them can be melted down together.
Recycling in the U.S. is broken. In 1960, Americans generated 2.68 pounds of garbage per day; by 2017, it had grown to an average of 4.51 pounds. And while many Americans dutifully put items into their recycling bins, much of it does not actually end up being recycled. This post will explain why, and talk about potential solutions.
Solid Waste Management. Context. Around the world, waste generation rates are rising. In 2020, the world was estimated to generate 2.24 billion tonnes of solid waste, amounting to a footprint of 0.79 kilograms per person per day. With rapid population growth and urbanization, annual waste generation is expected to increase by 73% from
Even just in the last two decades, global plastic production has doubled. Around 0.5% of plastic waste ends up in the ocean. The world produces around 350 million tonnes of plastic waste each year. Estimates vary, but recent high-quality studies suggest that between 1 and 2 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans annually.
Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world''s oceans, rivers, and lakes. Plastic pollution is a global problem. Every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers and seas. Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems'' ability to
First, there was no federal Superfund yet. The State of New York came in, and they were discovering that toxic waste from this abandoned canal was leaching into people''s basements. In the winter of ''77-''78, there was a lot of ice and snow. During the thaw, there was a tremendous amount of water, and [leaking waste-disposal] barrels
Despite strong environmental activism among Filipinos, the Philippines still suffers from a trash problem. Data shows that local government units are struggling to implement the "Ecological
The report highlights dire consequences for health, the economy, biodiversity and the climate. It also says a drastic reduction in unnecessary, avoidable
Turn off or unplug lights during the day. Doing so will save energy and help your lights last longer. Storms can cause power outages. Prevent waste by keeping rechargeable batteries for your flashlights. If you do use disposable batteries, reduce hazardous waste by buying ones with low mercury content.
By Jason Horowitz. Aug. 29, 2022. ROME — For years now, nothing has symbolized the fall of Rome more than its garbage crisis. A trash menagerie of wild boars, violent sea gulls and rats convene
Waste management experts say the problem with plastic is that it is expensive to collect and sort. There are now thousands of different types of plastic, and none of them can be melted down together.
Pollution of soil: Waste can leak hazardous chemicals into the soil and from there into our food. Air pollution: The burning of waste at landfills release toxic substances into the air, including extremely poisoning dioxin. Pollution of oceans: 13 million tonnes of plastic end up in the world''s oceans each year.