By the Numbers: Earth Day

In Honor of Earth Day, we take a look at some sustainability numbers.

5

The number of rapidly growing economies where the majority of plastic enters the ocean – China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Their waste management infrastructure has failed to keep up with the exploding demand for consumer products.

18

Percentage of greenhouse gas emissions that come from the livestock industry.

27

Percentage of the world’s garbage produced by Americans, while comprising only 5 percent of the world population.

30

Percentage of American waste stream that is recycled.

50

The cut in the percentage of meat consumption the Chinese government wants to see for its 1.4 billion citizens. While the move is designed to improve public health, it will also cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.

75

Percentage of American waste stream that is recyclable.

390

The gallons of oil it takes to produce a ton of paper.

4,000

The number of years it takes for glass bottles to decompose.

90,000

The pounds of trash the average American throws away in a lifetime.

1,000,000

The number of new plastic bags used globally every minute, at a cost of 2.2 billion gallons of oil a year.

25,000,000

The number of plastic bottles thrown away every year.

8,720,000,000

The number of dollars under professional management that was invested according to sustainable strategies in 2016, or 1 of every 5 dollars.

Infinity

There is no limit to the number of times an aluminum can can be recycled.

Source: Boston College, radar.sustainability.com/annual-trends-report/