The average American produces more than four pounds of
garbage per day.
The U.S. wastes more than 20
pounds of food per person every month.
Americans throw away enough paper and
plastic cups, forks, and spoons to circle the equator 300 times.
In 2012, the U.S. produced 32 million tons of plastic. Only
9% was recovered for recycling.
It takes about 450 years for plastic bottles to
break down in a landfill.
It takes 1 million years for a glass bottle to
break down in a landfill.
Glass from new materials requires 30% more energy
than using used glass.
Preventing one ton of paper waste saves between 16
mature trees.
The average American uses about 100 gallons of water per day.
There are 5 trillion pieces of floating plastic in the
world's oceans.
Sources: Environmental Protection Agency, Associated Press,
Clean Air Council, Recycle Across America, World Food Day, The Water
Information Program, PLOS
