The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that about 75% of all waste is recyclable. Recycling is the preferred option for waste diversion because it reduces the loads that are sent to landfills and conserves resources. While the benefits of recycling have been known since ancient civilizations, the modern practice of recycling has only existed since the early 1980s. However, it only reduces a small part of the amounts of annual waste that could actually be recycled.
About 75% of all waste is recyclable, but only about 30% of the waste produced in the United States is actually recycled. These figures are backed by DoSomething and the United States, which are part of the Public Interest Network. The United States produces too much waste. Natural resources are continuously extracted to produce goods that are used in the U.S.
UU. often only briefly before they are dumped in landfills, incinerators or into the natural environment. This system of consumption and disposal results in the waste of valuable resources and pollution that threatens our health, the environment and the global climate. Since the costs of this system fall on society at large and not on the producers and consumers who drive it, there are few direct incentives for change.
Environment America Research & Policy Center The United States produces too much waste. This system of consumption and disposal results in the waste of valuable resources and pollution that threatens our health, the environment and the global climate. To protect public health and the environment, conserve natural resources and landscapes, and address the growing crisis of climate change, the United States must move toward an economic system characterized by zero waste. To achieve that goal, federal, state and local governments must enact policies and programs that encourage the change to a “circular” or closed cycle economy in which less is consumed and all materials are reused, recycled and composted in a continuous cycle. It produces more than 12% of the planet's garbage, although it only houses 4% of the world's population.
Americans throw away 4.9 pounds of trash per person every day, or nearly 1,800 pounds of materials per American each year. Most of the waste (62%) discarded by homes and businesses in the U.S. In the United States, they are ultimately dumped in landfills or burned in incinerators. Every 15.5 hours, Americans throw away enough plastic to fill the country's largest NFL stadium, AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys), and the battery grows every year.
Our garbage generates even more waste than we see. The products we use and discard are created through processes such as mining and manufacturing, which generate much more waste and are much more dangerous. Waste in the United States consists largely of products that are only briefly used. Garbage is packaging, which is equivalent to 82 million tons of material that is normally thrown away after buying or using a product. Non-durable goods, such as clothing and newspapers, account for 17.3% of U.S.
garbage, and garden clippings (12.1%) and food (21.6%) also account for a substantial part. The rest (19.5%) of what homes and businesses throw away is made up of durable goods, such as furniture and appliances, many of which could be repaired or reused, or recycled for other uses. The linear material economy of the United States, in which materials are extracted, converted into goods and discarded, is a one-way street that generates enormous environmental impacts and of public health. The U.S.
system of consumption and disposal encourages and encourages waste. Society bears most of the costs and burden of waste, not the producers and consumers who generate it, eliminating incentives for change. Producers have little direct incentive to make products that last, to be easy to repair, to use less packaging, or to make their products or packaging easy to reuse, recycle or compost. In fact, it is often beneficial for producers to manufacture products intended to be used once or only temporarily, so that consumers buy more and more. Waste producers, distributors and carriers have an interest in keeping the U.S.
waste system working as it does now and have lobbied against changes. Almost all of the garbage in the United States could be composted and recycled. Food waste and garden clippings account for more than a third (33.7%) from the U.S. is garbage and is organic and easily compostable, but American paper and cardboard, some of which could be converted to compost and the rest recycled, make up nearly a quarter (23.1%) of American waste.
Metals, glass and plastics: Another quarter (25.2%) of U.S. waste can be easily recycled, although many types of plastic are not. Rubber, wood, leather and textiles make up the rest (15.1%) of U.S. waste and can also be recycled to get useful products.
Textile recycling has come a long way in recent years. Cities and states, as well as other countries, are already moving toward creating zero waste. Eleven states have banned single-use plastic bags, seven states have banned expanded polystyrene packaging, and more are considering banning other single-use food products, packaging and more. Thanks to a variety of policies and programs, such as making manufacturers responsible for the disposal of packaging, Germany now recycles 67% of household waste.
The United States has the tools to move from this wasteful, polluting and expensive linear system to a circular economy of materials that produces no waste, conserves natural resources and limits the pollution and emissions that cause global warming. Efforts to reduce waste must prioritize, first and foremost, reducing material consumption; reusing, restoring and repairing as much as possible; and recycling or composting all remaining materials. By taking the following steps, the U.S. The United States can encourage the change to a circular economy in which no waste is generated.
These measures can be promoted through a variety of policies and programs at the local, state and national levels. Set a goal to achieve zero waste. Require producers to take responsibility for their products throughout their lifecycle. Set the price of goods to reflect the environmental and public health impacts of their production. Make recycling and composting mandatory, universally accessible, and less expensive than garbage disposal.
Require that products are manufactured to last and are easy to repair, reuse, recycle or compost. Prohibit the sale of single-use items that are not easily recyclable or compostable, including packaging, plastic bags, and foodservice items. Invest in repair, reuse, recycling and composting facilities for support a circular economy. Require producers to use recycled and reused materials in new products, and encourage companies and governments to set purchasing standards for recycled materials.
As waste is disposed of, ensure that all remaining waste is disposed of safely. Oppose the construction, expansion and subsidization of landfills, incinerators and plastic-to-fuel facilities marketed as “chemical recycling.” Our research and public education work is made possible by tax-deductible contributions from supporters like you. We'll send you email updates with the latest news, valuable resources, and opportunities to take action on issues that matter to you. Visit the website of Environment America, our sister 501 (c) () organization.
About 34.6% of that waste is recycled, some is burned for energy and the rest is sent to landfills. Global Citizen campaigns for the United Nations Global Goals, which urge countries to develop sustainable waste management systems. You can take action on this issue here.
