Americans generate over 4 pounds of waste per person every day, totaling more than 220 million tons of trash each year – a majority of which gets sorted and sent to landfills.
With more than 3,500 landfills across the country, these dumps create the second largest source of human-related methane emissions in the country. Unfortunately, that number has continued to grow over time, and methane has the potential to trap heat in the atmosphere 25 times more effectively than carbon dioxide.
What really happens to the trash we send away, and how long does it take discarded items to decompose once they’ve been tossed out? We studied everything from paper towels and banana peels to plastic bags and disposable diapers. If you’re curious to know how long your 4 pounds of daily trash will take up space in our landfills, explore how much trash is near your home and please enjoy our visualizations.
More info: saveonenergy.com
Timing The Trash In Our Landfills
Years and Years of Trash
