GITNUXREPORT 2026

Trash Statistics

Trash pollutes oceans, landfills, and soil while harming wildlife and human health globally.

Min-ji Park

Research Analyst focused on sustainability and consumer trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking · Reputable sources · Regular updatesLearn more

Statistic 1

Global trash management costs $375 billion yearly, projected $640 billion by 2025

Statistic 2

US spends $50 billion annually on trash collection and disposal, 1.5% municipal budgets

Statistic 3

Recycling industry employs 1.17 million US jobs, $37.8 billion wages

Statistic 4

Food waste economic loss $1 trillion globally, 25% agricultural GDP

Statistic 5

Waste-to-energy market $37 billion in 2020, growing 6% CAGR to 2028

Statistic 6

China invests $15 billion yearly in trash infrastructure, incinerators 400+

Statistic 7

Informal recycling saves municipalities $11-27 per ton in collection costs

Statistic 8

EU circular economy from trash recycling adds €1.8 trillion GDP by 2030

Statistic 9

Landfill tipping fees average $53/ton US, $100+ in Northeast

Statistic 10

Plastic trash cleanup costs oceans $13 billion yearly in fisheries losses

Statistic 11

E-waste recycling recovers $62.5 billion materials value annually

Statistic 12

UK food waste costs £22 billion yearly, including £5.7 billion household

Statistic 13

Global incineration capacity costs $200 billion investment needed by 2050

Statistic 14

Trash picker economy $20 billion informal sector in developing countries

Statistic 15

US composting market $8 billion, 5,000 facilities processing 25 million tons

Statistic 16

India spends 0.4% GDP on waste management, needs 2x increase

Statistic 17

Recycling aluminum saves 95% energy, $1 billion US industry savings yearly

Statistic 18

Global packaging trash costs $80 billion in disposal, recyclable value $100 billion

Statistic 19

Brazil landfill costs R$10 billion yearly, recycling could save R$8 billion

Statistic 20

Waste management 2% global GDP, $2 trillion market by 2027

Statistic 21

Japan trash system costs ¥3.5 trillion annually, 0.7% GDP

Statistic 22

Ocean trash damages tourism $500 million yearly in Asia-Pacific

Statistic 23

US hazardous waste management $40 billion industry, 1,200 facilities

Statistic 24

Construction trash recycling saves $5 billion US materials costs yearly

Statistic 25

Africa waste sector employs 2 million informally, contributes 0.5% GDP

Statistic 26

Globally, plastic trash accounts for 80% of all marine debris, with an estimated 8-10 million metric tons entering oceans annually

Statistic 27

In the US, food waste contributes 21% of total trash volume, equating to 66 million tons per year and generating methane equivalent to 32.6 million cars' emissions

Statistic 28

Landfills worldwide emit 11% of global methane emissions from trash decomposition, totaling 1.3 billion metric tons CO2-equivalent annually

Statistic 29

Microplastics from trash pollution number 14 million particles per square kilometer in ocean surface waters

Statistic 30

Trash in rivers contributes 1-2 million tons of plastic to oceans yearly, with 80% from 1,000 rivers globally

Statistic 31

US landfills receive 146 million tons of trash yearly, occupying 2,200 square miles equivalent to Rhode Island's size

Statistic 32

Ocean trash kills over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals annually through ingestion and entanglement

Statistic 33

Trash-related soil contamination affects 25 million hectares globally, leaching heavy metals like lead at 100-500 mg/kg levels

Statistic 34

Burning open trash dumps releases 1.1 billion tons CO2-equivalent yearly in developing countries

Statistic 35

Plastic trash persists 400+ years in environment, with PET bottles taking 450 years to degrade

Statistic 36

Global trash generation projected to rise 70% to 3.4 billion tons by 2050, exacerbating ocean acidification by 0.1-0.3 pH units

Statistic 37

Trash leachate contaminates 40% of groundwater sources near landfills with nitrates at 50-200 mg/L

Statistic 38

E-waste trash contains 50 tons of gold and 1,000 tons of silver discarded yearly, polluting soils with mercury up to 10 mg/kg

Statistic 39

Trash fires in informal dumps emit 5.8 million tons of black carbon annually, accelerating glacial melt

Statistic 40

Coral reefs suffer 15% coverage loss from trash smothering and abrasion globally

Statistic 41

Airborne microplastics from tire trash pollution reach 1,000 particles per cubic meter in urban air

Statistic 42

Trash contributes to 25% of biodiversity loss in freshwater ecosystems via habitat fragmentation

Statistic 43

Global ocean trash forms gyres holding 1.8 trillion plastic pieces weighing 80,000 tons in Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Statistic 44

Trash-derived toxins bioaccumulate in fish at PCB levels 10-100 times human safety limits

Statistic 45

Desertification accelerated by trash dumping affects 12 million hectares yearly in arid regions

Statistic 46

US per capita trash generation is 4.9 pounds daily, leading to 1.5 billion pounds of plastic waste yearly polluting waterways

Statistic 47

Trash incineration releases 1.2 grams dioxins per ton burned, contaminating 20 km radius airsheds

Statistic 48

Global trash methane emissions equal 5% of anthropogenic total, or 720 million tons CO2e

Statistic 49

Plastic trash in seabird stomachs averages 5.1 pieces per bird, causing 30% mortality in fledglings

Statistic 50

Trash pollution reduces wetland carbon sequestration by 20-40% through smothering vegetation

Statistic 51

Eutrophication from trash nutrients causes 500 dead zones covering 245,000 km² oceans

Statistic 52

Trash vectors spread invasive species, with 25% of marine invasives arriving via plastic rafts

Statistic 53

Atmospheric deposition of trash microfibers adds 0.1-1 mg/m² to remote snowpacks yearly

Statistic 54

Trash alters albedo in Arctic ice, accelerating melt by 10-20% via black carbon

Statistic 55

Global trash contributes to 8% of ocean heat uptake via surface albedo changes from debris

Statistic 56

Living near landfills increases trash exposure risk by 20-50%, respiratory diseases up 15%

Statistic 57

Trash workers face 3-5 times higher injury rates, 10% annual respiratory illness from dust

Statistic 58

Open dumps emit odors affecting 500 million people, linked to 12% higher depression rates

Statistic 59

Microplastics in trash ingested by 90% humans, blood concentrations 1.6 µg/mL

Statistic 60

Childhood lead poisoning from e-waste trash sites affects 800,000 children yearly, IQ loss 4-7 points

Statistic 61

Vector-borne diseases near dumps rise 25%, mosquitoes breed in leachate pools

Statistic 62

Cancer risk from dioxins in incinerator emissions 1 in 1,000 within 5 km

Statistic 63

Informal trash pickers number 15 million globally, 20% child labor, TB rates 5x average

Statistic 64

Groundwater contamination from trash causes 1.8 million diarrhea cases yearly in India

Statistic 65

Asthma exacerbations up 30% in communities near landfills, PM2.5 from decomposition

Statistic 66

40% women in informal waste sector suffer musculoskeletal disorders from heavy lifting

Statistic 67

Trash-related skin infections affect 25% dump workers, staph prevalence 40%

Statistic 68

Birth defects 11% higher near incinerators, PCBs in placenta 2-5 ppb

Statistic 69

Global burden of trash pollution causes 1 million premature deaths yearly from air toxics

Statistic 70

Hearing loss in 15% trash collectors from machinery noise >85 dB daily

Statistic 71

60 million slum dwellers live adjacent to dumps, malnutrition rates 2x national average

Statistic 72

Endocrine disruption from phthalates in trash plastics affects fertility, sperm count down 50% since 1970s

Statistic 73

Heat stress incidents in waste workers up 40% due to climate, core temp >38°C

Statistic 74

Trash scavenging linked to 30% HIV prevalence in pickers via needle sticks

Statistic 75

Low-income neighborhoods bear 80% trash facilities, life expectancy 5 years lower

Statistic 76

Allergies from bioaerosols near compost sites affect 20% residents, IgE levels elevated

Statistic 77

Neurological disorders 15% higher in e-waste recycling communities, lead BLL >10 µg/dL

Statistic 78

Stress from dump proximity raises cortisol 25%, hypertension risk +18%

Statistic 79

The world generates 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid trash annually, with low-income countries producing 0.46 kg per capita daily

Statistic 80

US households generate 25% of national trash, averaging 1,960 pounds per household yearly

Statistic 81

China produces 226 million tons of trash yearly, surpassing US output by 15%

Statistic 82

Food waste constitutes 53% of household trash in developing nations, totaling 1.3 billion tons globally

Statistic 83

Europe generates 510 kg trash per capita annually, with paper/cardboard at 20% share

Statistic 84

India generates 62 million tons trash yearly, growing 4% annually due to urbanization

Statistic 85

Plastic packaging makes up 40% of virgin plastic production, yielding 141 million tons trash potential

Statistic 86

Brazil produces 78 million tons trash annually, with 58% from urban areas

Statistic 87

Global e-waste generation hit 53.6 million tons in 2019, only 17.4% formally collected

Statistic 88

Japan generates 410 kg trash per capita yearly, with highest incineration rate at 78%

Statistic 89

Africa generates 125 million tons trash yearly, projected to triple by 2050

Statistic 90

US commercial sector produces 36% of trash, or 106 million tons annually

Statistic 91

Paper trash generation in EU peaked at 89 million tons in 2018, declining 2% yearly

Statistic 92

Mexico generates 44 million tons trash yearly, with organics at 50% composition

Statistic 93

Global textile waste reaches 92 million tons annually, 87% landfilled or incinerated

Statistic 94

South Korea produces 470 kg trash per capita, recycling 59% effectively

Statistic 95

Construction trash comprises 35% global total, 1.2 billion tons yearly

Statistic 96

UK households discard 7 million tons food waste yearly, £20 billion value

Statistic 97

Indonesia generates 68 million tons trash annually, 60% mismanaged

Statistic 98

Metal trash generation globally is 54 million tons from packaging alone

Statistic 99

Australia produces 450 kg trash per capita, with plastics at 15% share

Statistic 100

Hazardous household trash includes 1.6 million tons batteries yearly worldwide

Statistic 101

Russia generates 70 million tons municipal trash yearly, collection coverage 80%

Statistic 102

Glass trash from beverages totals 50 million tons globally per year

Statistic 103

Turkey produces 26 million tons trash annually, urban rate 1.1 kg/capita/day

Statistic 104

Global recycling rate for trash is 13.1%, with 2.12 billion tons landfilled

Statistic 105

EU recycles 47.2% of municipal trash, composting 17.6%, landfilling 22%

Statistic 106

US recycled 32.1% of 292 million tons trash in 2018, 23.9% composted

Statistic 107

Germany achieves 67% municipal trash recycling rate, zero landfilling since 2016

Statistic 108

Global plastic recycling rate is 9%, with 79% landfilled or littered

Statistic 109

South Korea recycles 59% trash, incinerates 20%, leading OECD nations

Statistic 110

India recycles 20% of 62 million tons trash, informal sector handles 30%

Statistic 111

Japan incinerates 78% trash with energy recovery, recycles 20%

Statistic 112

UK composts 40% of food waste, overall recycling 44.9% in 2020

Statistic 113

China recycled 220 million tons industrial trash in 2020, rate 35%

Statistic 114

Canada recycles 23% municipal trash, diverts 26% from landfill via composting

Statistic 115

Austria leads with 59% recycling, 20% incineration, 1% landfill

Statistic 116

Brazil recycles 4% trash, landfills 58%, open dumps 30%

Statistic 117

Global e-waste formal recycling recovers 20% of 53.6 million tons

Statistic 118

Sweden recycles 99% trash, imports 10% for incineration energy

Statistic 119

Philippines recycles 28% via MRFs, composting 12%

Statistic 120

Belgium recycles 54.7% household trash, composts 18%

Statistic 121

US paper recycling rate 68.2%, metals 54%, plastics 8.7%

Statistic 122

Indonesia collects 70% trash, recycles 12%, composts 7%

Statistic 123

Netherlands diverts 82% trash from landfill, recycles 56%

Statistic 124

Global waste-to-energy plants process 130 million tons annually, generating 15 GW power

Statistic 125

Vietnam recycles 10-15% of 23 million tons trash, informal dominant

Statistic 126

Switzerland recycles 52%, incinerates 48%, landfill 0%

Statistic 127

Global compost production from trash organics reaches 200 million tons

Statistic 128

Malaysia recycles 30% trash, targets 40% by 2025

Statistic 129

Denmark recycles 29%, incinerates 54%, composts 17%

Statistic 130

US landfills 50% of trash, recycling/composting 69 million tons combined

1/130

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Our oceans are choking on eight million metric tons of plastic every year, but this is just the first layer of a staggering global trash crisis that infiltrates our air, soil, food, and even our own bodies.

Key Takeaways

Globally, plastic trash accounts for 80% of all marine debris, with an estimated 8-10 million metric tons entering oceans annually
In the US, food waste contributes 21% of total trash volume, equating to 66 million tons per year and generating methane equivalent to 32.6 million cars' emissions
Landfills worldwide emit 11% of global methane emissions from trash decomposition, totaling 1.3 billion metric tons CO2-equivalent annually
The world generates 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid trash annually, with low-income countries producing 0.46 kg per capita daily
US households generate 25% of national trash, averaging 1,960 pounds per household yearly
China produces 226 million tons of trash yearly, surpassing US output by 15%
Global recycling rate for trash is 13.1%, with 2.12 billion tons landfilled
EU recycles 47.2% of municipal trash, composting 17.6%, landfilling 22%
US recycled 32.1% of 292 million tons trash in 2018, 23.9% composted
Living near landfills increases trash exposure risk by 20-50%, respiratory diseases up 15%
Trash workers face 3-5 times higher injury rates, 10% annual respiratory illness from dust
Open dumps emit odors affecting 500 million people, linked to 12% higher depression rates
Global trash management costs $375 billion yearly, projected $640 billion by 2025
US spends $50 billion annually on trash collection and disposal, 1.5% municipal budgets
Recycling industry employs 1.17 million US jobs, $37.8 billion wages

Trash pollutes oceans, landfills, and soil while harming wildlife and human health globally.

Economic Aspects

Global trash management costs $375 billion yearly, projected $640 billion by 2025
US spends $50 billion annually on trash collection and disposal, 1.5% municipal budgets
Recycling industry employs 1.17 million US jobs, $37.8 billion wages
Food waste economic loss $1 trillion globally, 25% agricultural GDP
Waste-to-energy market $37 billion in 2020, growing 6% CAGR to 2028
China invests $15 billion yearly in trash infrastructure, incinerators 400+
Informal recycling saves municipalities $11-27 per ton in collection costs
EU circular economy from trash recycling adds €1.8 trillion GDP by 2030
Landfill tipping fees average $53/ton US, $100+ in Northeast
Plastic trash cleanup costs oceans $13 billion yearly in fisheries losses
E-waste recycling recovers $62.5 billion materials value annually
UK food waste costs £22 billion yearly, including £5.7 billion household
Global incineration capacity costs $200 billion investment needed by 2050
Trash picker economy $20 billion informal sector in developing countries
US composting market $8 billion, 5,000 facilities processing 25 million tons
India spends 0.4% GDP on waste management, needs 2x increase
Recycling aluminum saves 95% energy, $1 billion US industry savings yearly
Global packaging trash costs $80 billion in disposal, recyclable value $100 billion
Brazil landfill costs R$10 billion yearly, recycling could save R$8 billion
Waste management 2% global GDP, $2 trillion market by 2027
Japan trash system costs ¥3.5 trillion annually, 0.7% GDP
Ocean trash damages tourism $500 million yearly in Asia-Pacific
US hazardous waste management $40 billion industry, 1,200 facilities
Construction trash recycling saves $5 billion US materials costs yearly
Africa waste sector employs 2 million informally, contributes 0.5% GDP

Economic Aspects Interpretation

Our trash is an economic paradox, a growing monument to waste that costs the world nearly two trillion dollars a year, yet still manages to employ millions and hide a small fortune in our discarded things.

Environmental Impact

Globally, plastic trash accounts for 80% of all marine debris, with an estimated 8-10 million metric tons entering oceans annually
In the US, food waste contributes 21% of total trash volume, equating to 66 million tons per year and generating methane equivalent to 32.6 million cars' emissions
Landfills worldwide emit 11% of global methane emissions from trash decomposition, totaling 1.3 billion metric tons CO2-equivalent annually
Microplastics from trash pollution number 14 million particles per square kilometer in ocean surface waters
Trash in rivers contributes 1-2 million tons of plastic to oceans yearly, with 80% from 1,000 rivers globally
US landfills receive 146 million tons of trash yearly, occupying 2,200 square miles equivalent to Rhode Island's size
Ocean trash kills over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals annually through ingestion and entanglement
Trash-related soil contamination affects 25 million hectares globally, leaching heavy metals like lead at 100-500 mg/kg levels
Burning open trash dumps releases 1.1 billion tons CO2-equivalent yearly in developing countries
Plastic trash persists 400+ years in environment, with PET bottles taking 450 years to degrade
Global trash generation projected to rise 70% to 3.4 billion tons by 2050, exacerbating ocean acidification by 0.1-0.3 pH units
Trash leachate contaminates 40% of groundwater sources near landfills with nitrates at 50-200 mg/L
E-waste trash contains 50 tons of gold and 1,000 tons of silver discarded yearly, polluting soils with mercury up to 10 mg/kg
Trash fires in informal dumps emit 5.8 million tons of black carbon annually, accelerating glacial melt
Coral reefs suffer 15% coverage loss from trash smothering and abrasion globally
Airborne microplastics from tire trash pollution reach 1,000 particles per cubic meter in urban air
Trash contributes to 25% of biodiversity loss in freshwater ecosystems via habitat fragmentation
Global ocean trash forms gyres holding 1.8 trillion plastic pieces weighing 80,000 tons in Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Trash-derived toxins bioaccumulate in fish at PCB levels 10-100 times human safety limits
Desertification accelerated by trash dumping affects 12 million hectares yearly in arid regions
US per capita trash generation is 4.9 pounds daily, leading to 1.5 billion pounds of plastic waste yearly polluting waterways
Trash incineration releases 1.2 grams dioxins per ton burned, contaminating 20 km radius airsheds
Global trash methane emissions equal 5% of anthropogenic total, or 720 million tons CO2e
Plastic trash in seabird stomachs averages 5.1 pieces per bird, causing 30% mortality in fledglings
Trash pollution reduces wetland carbon sequestration by 20-40% through smothering vegetation
Eutrophication from trash nutrients causes 500 dead zones covering 245,000 km² oceans
Trash vectors spread invasive species, with 25% of marine invasives arriving via plastic rafts
Atmospheric deposition of trash microfibers adds 0.1-1 mg/m² to remote snowpacks yearly
Trash alters albedo in Arctic ice, accelerating melt by 10-20% via black carbon
Global trash contributes to 8% of ocean heat uptake via surface albedo changes from debris

Environmental Impact Interpretation

Humanity's single-use addiction has engineered a remarkably efficient system where we first mine, assemble, and transport precious materials at great cost, only to casually discard them into a planetary-scale trash compactor that is now methodically dismantling our own life support systems, one poisoned bird, melted glacier, and dead zone at a time.

Health and Social Effects

Living near landfills increases trash exposure risk by 20-50%, respiratory diseases up 15%
Trash workers face 3-5 times higher injury rates, 10% annual respiratory illness from dust
Open dumps emit odors affecting 500 million people, linked to 12% higher depression rates
Microplastics in trash ingested by 90% humans, blood concentrations 1.6 µg/mL
Childhood lead poisoning from e-waste trash sites affects 800,000 children yearly, IQ loss 4-7 points
Vector-borne diseases near dumps rise 25%, mosquitoes breed in leachate pools
Cancer risk from dioxins in incinerator emissions 1 in 1,000 within 5 km
Informal trash pickers number 15 million globally, 20% child labor, TB rates 5x average
Groundwater contamination from trash causes 1.8 million diarrhea cases yearly in India
Asthma exacerbations up 30% in communities near landfills, PM2.5 from decomposition
40% women in informal waste sector suffer musculoskeletal disorders from heavy lifting
Trash-related skin infections affect 25% dump workers, staph prevalence 40%
Birth defects 11% higher near incinerators, PCBs in placenta 2-5 ppb
Global burden of trash pollution causes 1 million premature deaths yearly from air toxics
Hearing loss in 15% trash collectors from machinery noise >85 dB daily
60 million slum dwellers live adjacent to dumps, malnutrition rates 2x national average
Endocrine disruption from phthalates in trash plastics affects fertility, sperm count down 50% since 1970s
Heat stress incidents in waste workers up 40% due to climate, core temp >38°C
Trash scavenging linked to 30% HIV prevalence in pickers via needle sticks
Low-income neighborhoods bear 80% trash facilities, life expectancy 5 years lower
Allergies from bioaerosols near compost sites affect 20% residents, IgE levels elevated
Neurological disorders 15% higher in e-waste recycling communities, lead BLL >10 µg/dL
Stress from dump proximity raises cortisol 25%, hypertension risk +18%

Health and Social Effects Interpretation

The grim reality of our trash is that from the moment it leaves our hands, it begins a toxic return journey, burdening the health, equity, and future of the most vulnerable among us.

Production and Generation

The world generates 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid trash annually, with low-income countries producing 0.46 kg per capita daily
US households generate 25% of national trash, averaging 1,960 pounds per household yearly
China produces 226 million tons of trash yearly, surpassing US output by 15%
Food waste constitutes 53% of household trash in developing nations, totaling 1.3 billion tons globally
Europe generates 510 kg trash per capita annually, with paper/cardboard at 20% share
India generates 62 million tons trash yearly, growing 4% annually due to urbanization
Plastic packaging makes up 40% of virgin plastic production, yielding 141 million tons trash potential
Brazil produces 78 million tons trash annually, with 58% from urban areas
Global e-waste generation hit 53.6 million tons in 2019, only 17.4% formally collected
Japan generates 410 kg trash per capita yearly, with highest incineration rate at 78%
Africa generates 125 million tons trash yearly, projected to triple by 2050
US commercial sector produces 36% of trash, or 106 million tons annually
Paper trash generation in EU peaked at 89 million tons in 2018, declining 2% yearly
Mexico generates 44 million tons trash yearly, with organics at 50% composition
Global textile waste reaches 92 million tons annually, 87% landfilled or incinerated
South Korea produces 470 kg trash per capita, recycling 59% effectively
Construction trash comprises 35% global total, 1.2 billion tons yearly
UK households discard 7 million tons food waste yearly, £20 billion value
Indonesia generates 68 million tons trash annually, 60% mismanaged
Metal trash generation globally is 54 million tons from packaging alone
Australia produces 450 kg trash per capita, with plastics at 15% share
Hazardous household trash includes 1.6 million tons batteries yearly worldwide
Russia generates 70 million tons municipal trash yearly, collection coverage 80%
Glass trash from beverages totals 50 million tons globally per year
Turkey produces 26 million tons trash annually, urban rate 1.1 kg/capita/day

Production and Generation Interpretation

While we might be building monuments of our own consumption, the world's trash statistics reveal we are alarmingly united in a global pile of excess, with our waste outpacing our wisdom, our leftovers eclipsing our logistics, and our discards defining our legacy far more accurately than our monuments ever could.

Recycling and Waste Management

Global recycling rate for trash is 13.1%, with 2.12 billion tons landfilled
EU recycles 47.2% of municipal trash, composting 17.6%, landfilling 22%
US recycled 32.1% of 292 million tons trash in 2018, 23.9% composted
Germany achieves 67% municipal trash recycling rate, zero landfilling since 2016
Global plastic recycling rate is 9%, with 79% landfilled or littered
South Korea recycles 59% trash, incinerates 20%, leading OECD nations
India recycles 20% of 62 million tons trash, informal sector handles 30%
Japan incinerates 78% trash with energy recovery, recycles 20%
UK composts 40% of food waste, overall recycling 44.9% in 2020
China recycled 220 million tons industrial trash in 2020, rate 35%
Canada recycles 23% municipal trash, diverts 26% from landfill via composting
Austria leads with 59% recycling, 20% incineration, 1% landfill
Brazil recycles 4% trash, landfills 58%, open dumps 30%
Global e-waste formal recycling recovers 20% of 53.6 million tons
Sweden recycles 99% trash, imports 10% for incineration energy
Philippines recycles 28% via MRFs, composting 12%
Belgium recycles 54.7% household trash, composts 18%
US paper recycling rate 68.2%, metals 54%, plastics 8.7%
Indonesia collects 70% trash, recycles 12%, composts 7%
Netherlands diverts 82% trash from landfill, recycles 56%
Global waste-to-energy plants process 130 million tons annually, generating 15 GW power
Vietnam recycles 10-15% of 23 million tons trash, informal dominant
Switzerland recycles 52%, incinerates 48%, landfill 0%
Global compost production from trash organics reaches 200 million tons
Malaysia recycles 30% trash, targets 40% by 2025
Denmark recycles 29%, incinerates 54%, composts 17%
US landfills 50% of trash, recycling/composting 69 million tons combined

Recycling and Waste Management Interpretation

The world's recycling report card is a stark tale of two planets: while a few nations have transformed trash into impressive resource streams, the vast majority of humanity is still buried under its own waste, managing to recycle only a dismal fraction of what we discard.