Resource Waste - Mother Jones

Americans waste more than 1 million pounds per person per year. This includes: 3.5 billion pounds (920 million square yards) of carpet sent to landfills, 25 ... Skiptomaincontent ShareonFacebook ShareonTwitterEmailPrintComments Donate Donate Subscribe Coronavirus AmazonLaborUnion ViktorOrbán Rep.MattGaetz Politics Environment CrimeandJustice Food Media Investigations Photos Magazine Podcasts Newsletters Coronavirus AmazonLaborUnion ViktorOrbán Rep.MattGaetz Subscribetoourmagazine ShareonFacebook ShareonTwitterEmailPrintComments Factsmatter:SignupforthefreeMotherJonesDailynewsletter.Supportournonprofitreporting.Subscribetoourprintmagazine. FreshKillsonStatenIslandistheworld’slargestlandfill,providingarepositoryforthegarbageofNewYorkCity.Covering4squaremilesandmorethan100feetdeep,itcontains2.9billioncubicfeetoftrash,including100milliontonsofnewspaper,paintcans,potatopeels,cigarettebutts,chickenbones,dryerlint,andanoccasionalcorpse.NewYorkersdump26millionpoundsoftrashatFreshKillsdaily.Bythetimeitclosesin2001,itwillbethetallesthillontheEasternseaboard.ButasmassiveasFreshKillsis,ittakesinjust.02percentofthewastegeneratedintheUnitedStates.Everyday,Americansdisposeofanadditional5,300timesasmuchwasteelsewhere. Americans,whohavethelargestmaterialrequirementsintheworld,eachdirectlyorindirectlyuseanaverageof125poundsofmaterialeveryday,orabout23tonsperyear.Thisconsumptionconsistsoffuelsintheformofgas,coal,andoil;quarriedmaterialssuchasstone,gravel,andsand;industrialmineralssuchasphosphate,cement,andgypsum;industrialmetalssuchascopperandaluminum;forestryproductssuchassawedtimber,pulpwoodforpaper,andfirewood;andagriculturalproductssuchasmilk,meat,eggs,grain,hay,andproduce. Americanswastemorethan1millionpoundsperpersonperyear.Thisincludes:3.5billionpounds(920millionsquareyards)ofcarpetsenttolandfills,25billionpoundsofcarbondioxide,and6billionpoundsofpolystyrene.Domestically,wewaste28billionpoundsoffood,300billionpoundsoforganicandinorganicchemicalsusedformanufacturingandprocessing,and700billionpoundsofhazardouswastegeneratedbychemicalproduction.Ifyoucountthewastedevelopedinextractinggas,coal,oil,andminerals,thatwouldaddanother34trillionpoundsperyear. Furthermore,domesticfiguresformaterialflowsdonotaccountforthewastegeneratedoverseasonourbehalf.Forexample,theFreeport-McMoRangoldmineinIrianJayaannuallydumps66poundsoftailingsandtoxicwasteintoIndonesianriversforeveryman,woman,andchildintheUnitedStates.Onlyatinyfractionofthe125,000tonsofdailywastematerialcomestotheUnitedStatesasgold.Therestremainsthere. Totalwastes,excludingwastewater,exceed50trillionpoundsayearintheUnitedStates.(Atrillionisabignumber.Tocountto50trillionattherateofonenumeralpersecondwouldrequirethecumulativeandtotallifetimesof23,000people.)Ifyouaddwastewater,thetotalflowofAmericanwasteequalsatleast250trillionpounds.Lessthan5percentofthetotalwastestreamactuallygetsrecycled—primarilypaper,glass,plastic,aluminum,andsteel. Wearefarbetteratmakingwastethanatmakingproducts.Forevery100poundsofproductwemanufactureintheUnitedStates,wecreateatleast3,200poundsofwaste.Inadecade,wetransform500trillionpoundsofmoleculesintononproductivesolids,liquids,andgases. 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