How many pounds of waste are generated supporting the lifestyle of one American for one year?

Question

How many pounds of waste are generated supporting the lifestyle of one American for one year?

Answer 1

If you would like to calculate your own ecological footprint go to this website www.redefiningprogress.org

Answer 2

Every American throws away about 1,000 pounds of trash a year =(

Answer 3

Too many!  In the pre- WW II era, people in the US tried to conserve things and make them last (tools, containers, dishes, clothing, etc.)  but now we have planned obsolescence in our great consumptive society.  Don't like your dishes?  throw em out and go to the mall to get a different color.  How many pairs of shoes do you have in your closet?  What do we do on vacation?  Shop.  We just seem to buy buy buy and then throw away because we have too much.  So many people are in debt that our whole economy is a mess.  

People need to sit back and take a look at what we are doing to our planet.  If more people would try to take/buy only what they need and be satisfied with the "simplicity" that we all purport to crave, then we would generate so much less waste and, in theory, have less debt and more peace of mind.

Answer 4

Tons we could feed a nation on what we throw away

Answer 5

Conservative estimate is 8lbs of trash per person per week. So 416 pds a year.  Obviously there are people who generate much less and much more.

Answer 6

The United States generated approximately 245.7 million tons of waste in 2005, a decrease of 1.6 million tons from 2004. This equates to 4.54 pounds per person per day or 1657 pounds per person per year. This is a decrease of 1.5% from 2004 to 2005. The recycling rate in 2005 was 1.46 pounds per person per day. Discards sent to a landfill after recycling declined to 2.46 pounds per person per day in 2005.

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