Let’s Look at the Numbers

What is the cost of global overconsumption? As a result of intensive manufacturing, complex agriculture, and cheap goods, we produce shocking amounts of trash. So much, in fact (we produce 2.12 billion tons of waste every year), that if piled up like a mountain, it would rival Mount Everest.

A large amount of this waste can be recycled, but we do not do enough. We end up dumping most of our waste into landfills, Only about 13% of waste is recycled globally. This is bad news for the environment and for us.
At Kelowna Recycling, we want to limit the effect of our waste on the environment. Let’s dive in.
The U.S. is the most culpable for waste production in the world. Although they constitute roughly about 5% of the globe’s population, they produce almost 40% of the waste in the world. This waste includes plastics, papers, food waste, and so on.
Germany is highly conscious about recycling. They recycled almost 68% of their waste in 2021, making them the highest recycler of waste in the world. Rounding out the top five are Austria, South Korea, Wales, and Switzerland.

While Germany is all about recycling, Sweden is all about energy efficiency as they convert a whopping 52% of their waste into energy. From their waste, they generate enough energy to heat one million homes, and provide electricity for 250,000 homes. Along with having a recycling center within 1,000 feet of every residential area, they recycle 47% of their waste. This means that only 1% of their waste is put in landfills. Astounding.

Scrap metal recycling plant and crane
Plastic is the biggest waste we produce. In 2021 we have produced almost 5 trillion bags of plastic, which adds up to about 160,000 bags every second. The number of bags produced could cover an area twice the size of France. According to National Geographic, the mass production of plastics over the past 6 decades has produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic in total, and we have only recycled 9% of it. 91% has gone into the trash. It is estimated that by 2050, the total amount of plastic in the ocean will weigh more than the total amount of fish!

Read through our website to see how you can help! We need to act now. Recycling is the way to go. As BC taxpayers, we can save money recycling. If you have a construction site or a company with building or metal waste, we will pick up. Schedule an appointment today using our hand online Appointment Scheduler!