- Amy Aussieker, Executive Director of Envision Charlotte
In 2013, the United States generated approximately 500 billion pounds of municipal solid waste (MSW), 6 billion more than was produced in 2012! This equates to approximately 4.4 pounds of waste per person per day! Of this, only 130 billion pounds of recyclable materials were recycled and 44 billion pounds of organic materials were composted.
What does this all mean? It means that we are wasting too much of our resources. In a perfect system, we’d be able to reuse or recycle most, if not all, of what we throw away.
All information in this section was acquired from the EPA Sustainability Materials Management Facts and Figures 2013 report (published June 2015).
Municipal Solid Waste includes packaging, food, grass clippings, sofas, computers, tires, and refrigerators. Not included are materials that also may be disposed in landfills but are not generally considered MSW, such as Construction/demolition debris, municipal wastewater treatment sludge, and non-hazardous industrial wastes.
According to a 2014 report, over 5 million pounds of solid waste is sent to landfills by Mecklenburg County residents and businesses everyday. This is equivalent to each person throwing away almost 2,000 pounds of waste per year!
Of our county’s waste, commercial waste (waste from businesses, commercial entities, etc.) makes up 44% of the total disposed waste stream. Residential waste makes up approximately 39%, and construction & demolition makes up the remaining 17%.
While overall waste production has increased in the United States, Charlotte-Mecklenburg has taken steps over the past several years to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill! For example, between 2006 to 2013, per capita total waste disposal (commercial + residential + other) dropped from 3,800 pounds to 1,960 tons per year.
In 2013, residential recycling increased to 160 pounds per person, which is up from 120 pounds per person in 2006. As a result, the percentage of the residential waste recycled, including separated yard waste, has increased from 23% in 2006 to 31.8% in 2013.
However, all this work is insignificant when compared to larger waste trends in the United States. With this in mind, Envision Charlotte recognizes the environmental and economic benefits of waste reduction efforts and is committed to helping the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. We will be partnering with waste management companies, building owners, managers, engineers, and employees to reduce materials used during daily activities, reuse materials more efficiently, and increase recycling.
Here are some ways we can all help to reduce the amount of waste Charlotte-Mecklenburg produces!
For more information about ways you can help reduce waste produced in Charlotte, click here or visit WipeOutWaste.com.
