Waste, PAPER, Plastics, and Recycling Factoids
Global waste is on pace to triple by 2100! A recent World Bank report projected that the amount of solid waste generated globally will nearly double by 2025, going from 3.5 million tons to 6 million tons—per day. And we likely won’t hit peak garbage—the moment when our global trash production hits its highest rate, then levels off—until after 2100, when we will produce 11 million tons of trash per day.
Global consumption of paper has grown 400 percent in the last 40 years. Nearly 4 billion trees or 35 percent of the total trees cut around the world are used in paper industries. Currently, the world consumes about 300 million tons of paper each year. The US, which accounts for 5% of the global population, uses 30% of all paper. In addition, since the 1950s, we have discarded 1,000,000,000 (one billion) tons of plastic globally. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, American’s discarded 32 million tons of plastic waste in 2011. Yet, only eight percent was recovered for recycling.
So What’s the Problem?
To produce paper takes twice the energy used to produce a plastic bag. In the case of paper, it also involves cutting down trees, which contributes to deforestation. Globally, about 42% of all wood harvest is used to make paper. The problem with plastics, besides the vast amount of resources (e.g., energy, water, etc.) needed to produce them, is that they do not biodegrade. There are no natural processes in place that can absorb plastic back into the biological cycle. So, they last for decades, centuries, and possibly forever. In other words, everlasting litter! Therefore, plastics need to be specially disposed of. They must be collected, treated, and RECYCLED!
The Answer?
Besides recycling, simply say ‘NO’ to unnecessary packaging and plastic and you can cut your pile of trash almost completely. The answer—REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE! We can and must do better and Pagosa Springs residents can lead the way!