With Earth Day right around the corner, let’s take a look at a few surprising facts and statistics about the environment and waste.
âž” About 300 million tons of plastic waste is produced annually, nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.
➔ Almost five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year—and they aren’t recyclable.
âž” The pulp and paper industry is the single largest consumer of water.
âž” It takes 130 pints of water to produce a single glass of almond milk.
âž” One-third of all food produced worldwide is wasted, despite there being almost 690 million people undernourished across the globe.
âž” If current trends continue, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050.
âž” Transportation amounts to an estimated 29 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
Related: These Local Organizations Are Taking a Bite out of Food Waste
