Nature · Facts & sources
6 sourced facts about the environment and eco-friendly living, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answer9%
The OECD found the world produces twice as much plastic waste as two decades ago, with most of it landfilled, incinerated or leaking into the environment.
Source: OECD, Global Plastics Outlook (2022) oecd.org
Answer4.9 pounds
That added up to 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste nationwide.
Source: U.S. EPA, Facts and Figures about Materials, Waste and Recycling (2018) epa.gov
Answer62 million tonnes (a record)
An estimated $62 billion worth of natural resources, like gold, copper and silver, was thrown away without being reclaimed.
Source: ITU and UNITAR, Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (2024) itu.int
Answer32.1%
Half of the 292.4 million tons of U.S. municipal solid waste went to landfills that year.
Source: U.S. EPA, Facts and Figures about Materials, Waste and Recycling (2018) epa.gov
Answer79 kg per person
UNEP says that's equal to 1.3 meals every day for everyone in the world affected by hunger.
Source: UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, via UN News (2024) news.un.org
Answer33.8%
It was the first time in the modern era that renewables overtook coal, which fell to 33.0%.
Source: Ember, Global Electricity Review 2026 ember-energy.org