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Total waste per capita has been increasing since 2004. However, Ann Arbor's 1086 pounds per capita waste (in 2006) is only about 65% of the national average of 1650 pounds per year.
Source: Ann Arbor Solid Waste, Systems Planning |
*The blue columns represent total pounds of Ann Arbor per capita waste per year, compared to the national average in the yellow column.
Across the country per capita waste has been steadily increasing. In 1960, the per capita generation of waste was 2.7 pounds per person per day, by 1980 it was 3.3 pounds per day, and in 2005 it was 4.5 pounds per day.
Source for national statistics: U.S. EPA
What is waste per capita?
Waste per capita was taken by considering total Ann Arbor waste (from refuse, recycling and compost), divided by 114,000 residents, a recent population estimate according to data from SEMCOG and the U.S. Census. Total Ann Arbor waste includes all waste from Ann Arbor residencies, but only about 1/2 of commercial sites in the City. Many commercial sites contract for their own solid waste collection. Therefore, our true per capita annual waste is likely to be a bit higher.
How does our personal waste affect our environment?
The 3 R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycled) were arranged in that order on purpose. The more we reduce our total waste, the less material there is to be maintained, either in a landfill, or composted or recycled. The less we use, the less energy is used as well, and the less natural resources are required to support our way of life. As we continue to consume more and more, our waste stream increases, increasing pressure on natural resources and energy. While recycling and and reusing are both important, cutting our waste stream at the source through reduction is the most effective at protecting the environment overall.
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