Steering Trash Down the Road Less Traveled
It’s only human to make trash. Even early hunter-gathers had a waste stream. Of course, back then most of it was biodegradable and, even when it did pile up — discarded mussel shells for instance, the long-term impact was negligible.
Thousands of years later it’s a different story. Humans create mountains of waste. Americans alone throw away 254 million tons of trash each year, or just under four and a half pounds per person each day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And it’s a veritable potpourri. “Organics” like food waste and lawn clippings join metals, paper, and tons of plastics to create a messy mix of garbage.