Waste Management Statistics

Encourage Operational Efficiencies and Sustainability Efforts

Waste management is taking on a bigger role within all levels of society. In the United States, federal programs seek to reduce our reliance on traditional waste management methods and are replaced with more preferred initiatives.

At state level, the problem is more acute with a number of individual states reporting that they are nearing capacity in terms of available resources. While waste management statistics are much improved over the last 20 years, there is a long way to go.

Waste management is not just a governmental problem. At corporate level, organizations must become far more aware of their entire life cycle operation and assume much more responsibility for waste management and end-of-life implications.

Threat of legislation, in place in some jurisdictions already, suggests that an organization could take a financial hit if they are deemed to be inefficient and see their waste management statistics above average.

The processing of waste can be particularly harmful to our environment and of major repercussion for climate change. Landfills are front and center, as large amounts of methane are released during the degradation process. Methane is known to be up to 70 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and it has a significant role to play in the threat of global warming.

Burning of Material Waste is Not Necessarily the Answer

Incineration, as a process of waste management, is harmful to our environment, due to the release of gases such as nitrous oxide. Waste management statistics show us that a majority of waste is still sent to landfills, with newer and larger facilities expanding and accounting for an assumed drop-off in the actual number of locations.

Legislation aimed at forcing emitters to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that they are responsible for will actively encourage organizations to reduce their carbon footprint. Part of this process will require them to analyze waste at all levels of the operation and a reduction is likely as efficiencies are realized.

Waste management statistics endorsed by the Environmental Protection Agency show us that over 200 million tons of solid waste is produced in the US each year. If measured according to the population of the country, this would equate to a staggering 4.4 pounds of waste per person per day. Clearly action is necessary throughout all levels of society.

Waste Management Statistics Governed by the EPA Provide Quantified Measurement

While traditional waste management level methods can have a significant adverse effect on the health of our waterways, atmosphere and our individual well-being, more emphasis should be placed on the reuse of products, recycling and composting.

It should be noted that traditional methods of collecting waste create additional carbon emission problems, during the process of collection and transportation.

Waste management statistics will become a matter of increasing importance within an organization's hierarchy. As efficiencies at all levels are required, a full analysis of waste will be necessary throughout the supply chain.

About Verisae

Verisae helps measure, manage and reduce equipment and energy costs including the related business and environmental impacts of carbon emissions. The Sustainability Resource Planning (“SRP”) software platform improves operational efficiency, protects brand integrity and helps ensure regulatory compliance for distributed enterprises across many industries. Verisae delivers a broad range of sustainability solutions to dozens of clients globally with thousands of daily users including an extended network of third-party suppliers. Verisae’s integrated sustainability platform actively tracks millions of assets across thousands of sites worldwide.

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