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KNOW YOUR TRASH FACTS

About 80% of what Americans throw away is recyclable, yet our recycling rate is just 33%. (Environmental Protection Agency)

More than ½ million trees are saved each year by recycling paper in Boulder County. (Eco-Cycle)

By recycling more than 57,000 tons of steel cans, we reduce greenhouse gasses equivalent to taking more than 21,000 cars off the road each year. (WM)

Recycling glass instead of making it from silica sand reduces mining waste by 70%, water use by 50%, and air pollution by 20%. (Environmental Defense Fund)

If we recycled all of the newspapers printed in the U.S. on a typical Sunday, we would save 550,000 trees—or about 26 million trees per year. (California Department of Conservation)

The energy saved each year by steel recycling is equal to the electrical power used by 18 million homes each year—or enough energy to last Los Angeles residents for eight years. (Steel Recycling Institute)

The total volume of solid waste produced in the U.S. each year is equal to the weight of more than 5,600 Nimitz Class air craft carriers, 247,000 space shuttles, or 2.3 million Boeing 747 jumbo jets. (Beck)

An average kitchen-size bag of trash contains enough energy to light a 100-watt light bulb for more than 24 hours. (Covanta)

The solid waste industry currently produces more than half of America's renewable energy, more than combined energy outputs of the solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and wind power industries. (U.S. DOE, Energy Information Administration)

Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil (enough to run the average car for 1,260 miles), 4,100 kilowatts of energy (enough power for the average home for 6 months), 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space, and 60 pounds of air pollution. (Trash to Cash)

Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to operate a TV for 3 hours. (Eco-Cycle)

Glass can be recycled an indefinite number of times and never wears out. (National Recycling Coalition)

Making glass from recycled material cuts related water pollution by 50%. (National Recycling Coalition)

If we put all of the solid waste collected in the U.S. in a line of average garbage trucks, that line of trucks could cross the country, extending from New York City to Los Angeles, more than 100 times. (Beck)

Five PET bottles (plastic soda bottles) yield enough fiber for one extra large T-shirt, one square food of carpet or enough fiber fill to fill one ski jacket. (National Recycling Coalition)

The average person has the opportunity to recycle more than 25,000 cans in a lifetime. (National Recycling Coalition)

Americans throw away enough office paper each year to build a 12-foot-high wall of paper from New York to Seattle. (National Recycling Coalition)

The average American discards seven and a half pounds of garbage every day. (National Recycling Coalition)

Once an aluminum can is recycled, it's back on the grocery shelf as another aluminum can in 60 days. (www.aluminum.org)

Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet. (www.aluminum.org)

Tossing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out half of that can's volume of gasoline. (www.aluminum.org)

Enough aluminum cans were recycled last year to fill a hollow Empire State Building 24 times. (www.aluminum.org)

The 62.6 billion cans recycled last year alone would make 171 circles around the earth at its equator. (www.aluminum.org)

Some 119,482 cans are recycled every minute nationwide. (www.aluminum.org)

Over the past 10 years, the number of aluminum cans recycled has doubled. (www.aluminum.org)

More than one million tons of aluminum containers and packaging are thrown away each year. (www.aluminum.org)

Recycling 1 ton of aluminum saves the equivalent in energy of 2,350 gallons of gasoline. This is equivalent to the amount of electricity used by the average home over a period of 10 years. (www.aluminum.org)

By using recycled aluminum instead of virgin ore, aluminum manufactures save enough energy needed to supply electricity to a city the size of Pittsburgh for about six years. (www.aluminum.org)

In 2006, the amount of paper recovered for recycling averaged 357 pounds for each man, woman, and child in the United States. (http://earth911.org)

Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space. (http://earth911.org)

By 2012, the paper industry’s goal is to recover 55 percent of all the paper Americans consume for recycling, which is approximately 55 million tons of paper. (http://earth911.org)

More than 37 percent of the fiber used to make new paper products in the United States comes from recycled sources. (http://earth911.org)

86 percent (approximately 254 million) of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs. (http://earth911.org)

Every month, we throw out enough recyclable glass bottles and jars to fill up a giant skyscraper. (www.recycling-revolution.com)

The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours. It also causes 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials. (www.recycling-revolution.com)

Every year, Americans throw away enough office and writing paper to build a wall 12 feet high, stretching from Los Angeles to New York City. (www.fairfaxcounty.gov)

Recycling one ton of paper saves one acre of trees. (www.fairfaxcounty.gov)

If all the glass bottles and jars collected through recycling in the U.S. in one year were laid end-to-end, they would reach the Moon and half way back to the Earth. (www.fairfaxcounty.gov)

The volume of glass recycled by Americans in one year would fill New Jersey's Giants Stadium more than three times. (www.fairfaxcounty.gov)

Glass can be recycled an infinite number of times. (www.fairfaxcounty.gov)

The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will light a 100-watt bulb for four hours. (www.fairfaxcounty.gov)

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History of Solid Waste Management

During the course of history, human progress often has been linked to advances (or failures) to properly manage waste. Solid waste professionals have been and continue to be environmentalists. In fact, we've been environmentalists for millennia before such a concept even existed. Here is a historical timeline of significant developments in waste management, as well as some other events that impacted the way that we manage or look at our garbage.

20th Century to Present

During this time, in Europe, the United States and other parts of the developed world, more organized waste collection and landfilling programs were established. A variety of regulations impacting solid waste management were imposed. In more recent history, waste management technologies used have continued to evolve and improve dramatically.

At the turn of the century, piggeries were developed in many small to medium-sized U.S. towns, where swine are fed fresh or cooked garbage. An expert estimates that 75 pigs could consume 1 ton of refuse per day. Even after the advent of the modern landfill, the "slopping" of garbage to pigs continued in a major way on farms in the United States. A 1930 survey of 557 American cities found that about 40 percent of them still saved their wet garbage for slopping, despite the well-known relationship between trichinosis and garbage-fed pigs. After the slaughter of some 400,000 hogs in the mid-1950s to prevent the spread of disease, U.S. public health departments moved to prohibit the use of raw garbage as animal feed.

By 1910, nearly 80 percent of American cities had some sort of organized solid waste collection. The earliest of these involved men collecting waste with horse or mule-drawn carts. With the advent of the automobile, garbage trucks started to develop. Find a detailed history of the development of garbage truck technology in the YouTube video (below).

By the 1920's, landfilling (reclaiming wetlands near cities with layers of garbage, ash and dirt) became a popular waste disposal method. Modern landfills are different in about every way from earlier dumps. Modern landfills are complex enterprises, built with safety and environmental protection in mind, carefully engineered and monitored, managed to minimize odors and pests, and increasingly managed as sources of energy. (Modern Landfills - A Far Cry from the Past is an NSWMA White Paper that examines the many techonological changes that have made landfills even more protective of the environment.)

The passage of the Clean Air Act in the U.S. in 1970 led to closure of many earlier-constructed incinerators, because they could not adequately control their air pollution. However, subsequently built, modern waste-to-energy plants include pollution controls that remove particles and reduce gas emissions to minute levels while producing enough electricity to power nearly 1.7 million homes.

In recent decades, the solid waste industry has pioneered other technologies, such as recycling, recognizing that today’s waste stream is the feed stock for tomorrow’s new products. In a short amount of time, relative to the other technologies mentioned here, recycling has become a fully-developed technology. As of 2007, more than 34 percent of American municipal solid waste is recycled or composted, conserving vital resources and energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting air and water quality.

In the industrialized world, during the last century, the scavenging that historically occurred to pull value out of the waste stream, generally has been professionalized and now includes highly organized recycing efforts and waste-based energy production. While one still can find traditional scavengers looking for resources in some dumps throughout the developing world, operators of modern landfills don't allow traditional scavenging, since active cells in operational landfills can be dangerous places.

The solid waste industry continues to lead in responding to the most pressing environmental concerns of the day. Today, we are leaders in responding to concerns raised by climate change, the most dominant global environmental issue. Industry innovation allows us to capture greenhouse gas from landfills, use it as a source of renewable and sustainable energy, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil.

History Channel video about garbage trucks.

Earlier historical information here:

20th Century to Present: Other Info/Timeline

Composition of Waste (UK, 1892-2002)

The composition of waste has changed over the last century. Many people now live in apartments. Fewer people cook or heat with fires that produce ash and cinders. Changes in society such as increased mobility with the automobile, the rise of supermarkets and a steep rise in packaging.

Sources:Atkinson, W. and New, R. (1993) An Overview of the Impact of Source Separation Schemes on the Domestic Waste Stream in the UK and Their Relevance to the Government's Recycling Target, Warren Spring Laboratory, Stevenage, Herts., Startegy Unit (2002) Waste Not Want Not.

1902

Seventy-nine percent of the 161 U.S. cities surveyed in a Massachusetts Institute of Technology study provided regular collection of refuse.

1904

The nation's first two major aluminum recycling plants opened in Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois.

1905

New York City began using a garbage incinerator to generate electricity to light the Williamsburg Bridge.

1909

By this year, 102 of 180 incinerators built since 1885 have been abandoned or dismantled. Many had been inadequately built or run. Also, American's abundant land and widely spaced population generally made dumping garage less expensive.

City beautification programs became more and more popular. Many cities had juvenile sanitation leagues whose members promised to help keep streets and neighborhoods clean. Sanitation workers often wore white uniforms, reminiscent of other public workers such as doctors and nurses.

1911

In New York’s Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bronx, citizens produced about 4.58 pounds of refuse each day. Yearly collections per capita included 141 pounds of wet garbage, 1,443 pounds of ash, and 88 pounds of dry rubbish.

1917

Shortages of raw materials during World War I prompt the federal government to start the Waste Reclamation Service, part of the War Industries Board. Its motto is "Don't Waste Waste - Save it." Every article of waste is considered valuable for industry. (For example, by this time, the U.S. was producing 15,000 tons of paper a day, using 5,000 tons of old paper in the process.)

1918

U.S. cities began switching from horse-drawn to motorized refuse collection equipment.

1932

Austrian inventor Jacob Ochsner and French inventor Ferrnand Rey began building hydraulic rear loader compactor trucks in Europe.

1933

Communities on the New Jersey shore obtained a court order forcing New York City to stop dumping garbage in the Atlantic Ocean. On July 1, 1934, the Supreme Court upholds the lower court action, but applies it only to municipal waste, not commercial or industrial wastes.

1937

The first American mass-production, hydraulic rear-load refuse packer compactor truck (Load Packer by Garwood) was introduced. It was patented in 1938. Because of World War II, it was not widely used until the late 1940s. Following the war, three major competitors (Sicard, Leach and Heil) also introduced competing products.

1942-45

Americans collected rubber, paper, scrap metal, fats, and tin cans to help the war effort. The sudden surge of waste paper glutted markets, and prices dropped from $9 to $3 per ton.

1959

The American Society of Civil Engineers publisheed the standard guide to sanitary landfilling. To guard against rodents and odors, the guide suggested compacting the refuse and covering it with a layer of soil each day.

1962

NSWMA (the trade association representing for-profit companies in North America that provide solid, hazardous and medical waste collection, recycling and disposal services) was founded.

1965

The first federal solid waste management law, the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA), authorized research and provided for state grants.

1968

By this year, more than 33 percent of U.S. cities collected waste that was separated in some manner.

President Johnson commissioned the "National Survey of Community Solid Waste Practices," providing the first comprehensive data on solid waste since the 1800s.

1970

The U.S. celebrated the first Earth Day on April 22.

The Resource Recovery Act amended the Solid Waste Disposal Act and required the federal government to issue waste disposal guidelines.

The Clean Air Act established federal authority to fight urban smog and air toxins. The new regulations led to closure of many earlier-constructed incinerators, because these facilities could not adequately control their air pollution.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created.

1971

Oregon passed the nation's first bottle bill. By offering cash for aluminum, glass and plastic containers, it removed about 7 percent of its garbage from the waste stream.

1972

The Federal Clean Water Act was enacted to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation's waters.

The first buy-back centers for recyclables were opened in Washington State. They accepted beer bottles, aluminum cans and newspapers.

1974

The first city-wide use of curbside recycling bins occured in University City, Missouri, for collecting newspapers.

1975

By this time, all 50 states have some solid waste regulations; although, content varies widely from state to state.

1976

The passage of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) created the first significant role for federal government in waste management. The law emphasized recycling and conserving energy and other resources, and launched the nation's hazardous waste management program.

1978

The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act was passed following the Arab oil embargo. The act guaranteed a market for energy created by small power producers and encouraged growth of the waste-to-energy industry and methane recovery from landfills.

The U.S. Supreme Court rules that garbage was protected by the Interstate Commerce Clause; therefore, New Jersey cannot ban shipments of waste from Pennsylvania.

1979

EPA issued landfill criteria that prohibit open dumping.

1984

During the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California, athletes, trainers, coaches and spectators produced 6.5 million pounds of trash in 22 days, more than 6 pounds per person per day (versus the national average of 3.6 pounds produced per person per day at that time).

Hazardous and Solid Waste Act amendments and reauthorization to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act require tougher federal regulation of landfills.

1986

Rhode Island enacted the nation's first statewide mandatory recycling law, including aluminum and steel cans, glass, newspapers and #1 and #2 plastic. Citizens and businesses were required to separate recyclables from trash.

Fresh Kills on Staten Island, New York, became the largest landfill in the world.

1987

Mobro 4000, the Islip, Long Island, garbage barge, was rejected by six states and three countries. The barge garnered lots of media attention and became a symbol for limited landfill capacity in the Northeast. The garbage was finally incinerated in Brooklyn, New York, and the ash brought to a landfill near Islip.

1988

EPA estimated that more than 14,000 landfills have closed since 1978, more than 70 percent of those that had been operating at that time.

Lacking disposal capacity, New Jersey exported more than 50 percent of its solid waste to neighboring states.

The Plastic Bottle Institute developed a material-identification code system for plastic bottle manufacturers (the current #1-#7 resin identification system).

1989

Twenty-six states have passed comprehensive laws making recycling an integral part of waste management. Seven states required curbside separation of recyclables.

Between 1986 and mid-1989, 33 states considered or enacted restrictions on out-of-state waste.

Arizona archeologist William Rathje recovered corn on the cob intact after 18 years in an Arizona landfill. His research indicated that some types of landfills have limited biodegradability.

Sudden growth in curbside collection of newspaper glutted the market; prices dropped to zero, and some communities paid to have material taken away.

1990

140 recycling laws have been enacted in 38 states and the District of Columbia.

McDonald's announced plans to stop the use of polystyrene packaging of its food due to consumer protests.

Both Coca-Cola and Pepsi announced that they will begin using a bottle made of about 25 percent recycled plastic resin.

1991

EPA released RCRA Subtitle D landfill standards that included requirements for location, groundwater protection and monitoring, and post-closure care.

1994

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in C.A. Carbone v. Town of Clarkstown, declared that flow control requirements were unconstitutional.

1995

This year, the number of landfills in the U.S. was approximately 2,800, down from an estimated 20,000 landfills in 1970. This significant decrease in the number of landfills in the U.S. was due to landfill closures forced by stricter regulatory programs.

1997

The U.S. recycled 22.4 percent of the MSW stream, compared to a 6.4 percent recycling rate in 1960. The U.S. composted 5.6 percent of the waste stream, incinerated 16.9 percent, and landfilled the remaining 55.1 percent.

1998

At this time, average state landfill capacity was more than 16 years.

The national average landfill tipping fee is $32, compared to a national average incinerator tipping fee of nearly $60 per ton.

USAWaste Services, Inc., purchased Waste Management, Inc., increasing the size of the largest waste management company in the U.S. to one with more than $12 billion in annual revenues.

2001

New York City's Fresh Kills Landfill (the largest operational landfill in the U.S. at the time) was scheduled to close; however, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11 motivated New York officials to maintain Fresh Kills while authorities sorted through debris for evidence.

2002

New York City's Fresh Kills Landfill was closed. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has announced a plan to convert the former landfill into one of the the nation's largest city parks. Replacing Fresh Kills, the largest operational landfills in the U.S. (by tonnage, according to Waste & Recycing News, as of Nov. 10, 2008) were the Apex Regional Landfill in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Puente Hills Landfill in Whittier, California.

2007

According to the U.S. EPA, Americans recycled and composted 33.4 percent of the MSW stream, compared to a 6.4 percent recycling rate in 1960. The U.S. incinerated 12.6 percent of the waste stream and landfilled the remaining 54.0 percent.

Earlier historical information here:

Sources:

Ace Disposal website
Rubbish! The Archeology of Garbage (Rathje & Murphy)
EnvironmentalChemistry.com website
City of Memphis website
The Association of Science-Technology Centers
Black Plague (Wikipedia)
Wasteonline UK website
History of Garbage Trucks website
Classic Refuse Trucks website
Garbage Then & Now (NSWMA)
Garbage In The Cities: Refuse Reform and the Environment (Melosi)
The great mortality: an intimate history of the Black Death (Kelly)

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New Release: EIA Women?s Council Announces Scholarship Winners
The Environmental Industry Associations Women?s Council announced the three winners of the Women?s Council Scholarship Program, which recognizes outstanding students with an interest in solid waste and environmental industries. Each winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship to the school of their choice. Read full release here.

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EIA is the trade association that represents the private sector solid waste and recycling industry through its two sub-associations, the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) and the Waste Equipment Technology Association (WASTEC).