Food is the most common form of waste, accounting for almost 50 percent of global MSW. Millions of tons of food is wasted every year, especially fruit and vegetables. Much like other waste forms, the United States is a major producer of food waste, generating almost 100 million metric tons of food waste every year.
Paper and paperboard products made up the largest percentage of all the materials in MSW, at 23.1 percent of total generation.
In 2020-21, the three largest sources of waste were building and demolition (25.2 mega tonnes), organics (14.4 mega tonnes), and ash from C&I electricity generation (12 mega tonnes).
As a nation, Americans generate more waste than any other nation in the world with 4.5 pounds (2.0 kg) of municipal solid waste (MSW) per person per day, fifty five percent of which is contributed as residential garbage.
Waste Generation
Developed societies, such as the U.S., generally produce large amounts of municipal solid waste (e.g., food wastes, packaged goods, disposable goods, used electronics) and commercial and industrial wastes (e.g., demolition debris, incineration residues, refinery sludges).
Industrial
Industries are known to be one of the biggest contributors to solid waste. They include light and heavy manufacturing industries, construction sites, fabrication plants, canning plants, power and chemical plants.
Plastic Waste The top plastic polluters 2022
The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo and Nestlé are ranked as the world's top plastic polluters for the 5th consecutive year according to Break Free From Plastic, whose latest global Brand Audit report also charges the same leading plastic polluters for fueling the climate crisis.
Industries produce a variety of solid, liquid as well as gaseous waste containg a lot of harmful and lethal chemicals. Hence Industrial waste is the most harmful type of waste.
The Woodlawn landfill, 240km southwest of Sydney, gets more waste than any other landfill in Australia.
Metal is one of the most recycled materials in Australia, with 90 per cent of all metals turned into new products - this includes construction materials as well as vehicles.
E-waste is the world's fastest growing waste stream.
Hazardous waste can be considerably more expensive to dispose of than other types of waste management. It tends to be charged at a higher price than other materials due to the disposal process and because there aren't as many disposal sites available.
Steel. The most recyclable material on the globe is steel. Recycled steel only accounts for about 40% of the total amount of steel produced, even though more steel is created than is destroyed, resulting in a 60% recycling rate. Each year, 1085 million tons of steel are recycled.
Despite the advancements and usage of renewable energy technology, fossil fuels are still the dominant source of energy and fuel. Energy is still by far the industry that produces the most pollution, at a rate of more than 15 billion tons due to its dependency on coal, oil and gas.
E-waste is the world's fastest growing waste stream and much of it is handled unsafely, causing pollution, human health hazards, and the loss of valuable finite resources. Take this short quiz to test your e-waste knowledge.
That cycle of consumption has made electronics waste the world's fastest-growing solid-waste stream.
E-waste is the fastest growing source of waste on the planet and the biggest source of toxic metals in landfills.
90 to 98 percent of landfill gas is methane and carbon dioxide. Nitrogen, oxygen, ammonia, sulfides, hydrogen, and other gases make up the remaining 2 to 10%.
Leftovers. Whether it's the pizza you ordered in, a pan full of stir-fry, or last night's pasta, leftovers are unfortunately one of the most commonly wasted food items. Discover our tips to using leftover spaghetti bolognese, leftover barbecue meats, even leftover cake!
Food waste produced annually in selected countries worldwide 2020. China and India produce more household food waste than any other country worldwide at an estimated 92 million and 69 million metric tons every year, respectively.