In memory of Earth DayLet’s talk trash.
You might be surprised to know that the average American produces almost five pounds of trash each day, most of which is made up of recyclable materials like paper, glass, and plastics. Add that to the population and multiply it by days. According to the most recent data from the Environmental Protection AgencyThe United States produces 268,000,000 tons of waste each year. 69 million tons are recycled, and 25 million tons are composted.
These numbers are significantly higher for residents of other countries than they are for Europeans. According to the EPA, an average European person produces just over 1,000 pounds per year, compared to nearly 2,000 in the United States.
There are many easy ways that anyone can reduce their daily waste.
For example, newspapers and plastics can be easily recycled for more sustainable options such as digital subscriptions or filterless coffee makers, reusable containers, bags, and other paper and plastic products. Other products that contain textiles that contribute to Worldwide, nearly 20 percent of wastewater is treatedYou can tackle metals and wood with more thoughtful purchases and more practical ways to store and recycle goods.
Data is data until we can see our individual contribution to the problem. Yahoo Life has created an interactive AR tool below to help people understand how much waste they create each day and how they can make better choices to reduce it.
What simple actions can be taken to reduce your trash this year? Click below to take on the challenge.
You can experience it yourself
To see your garbage footprint, click on one of the categories of trash in the tool. Then, you can learn how to reduce your waste and watch your pile shrink.
AR experience by Tim Chaffee. Jacquie Cobb, Becky Horvath. Henry Keyser. Radek Mihailik. Fabian Rueckert.