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LIVING GREEN

LIVING GREEN

Waste Management

pie chart showing the breakdown of different kinds of garbage generated by people each day

Waste disposal is a critical issue for all communities, as there is no easy way to get rid of garbage other than by reducing the amount of waste generated. In the United States, each person generates about 4.4 pounds of waste per day. That's enough garbage to fill a convoy of trash trucks halfway to the moon each year!

This chart gives an average breakdown of what is found in a typical municipal US landfill. The good news is that there are ways you and your family can manage household waste. 

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Original website content and design created by Mark Hostetler, Elizabeth Swiman, and Sarah Webb Miller. With the help of UF/IFAS Communications, the current look and functionality was streamlined for the UF/IFAS Extension Solutions for Your Life website. Al Williamson of UF/IFAS Communications uploads the steaming video for each episode. Images on this website were taken prior to national guidelines of face coverings and social distancing. The site is currently maintained and updated by Tom Barnash and Mark Hostetler.