Where does all the trash go? Over half of the trash Americans produce ends up at the dump compared to 32 percent of waste that is recycled or composted.
Your trash can end up in a few different places depending on what you’re throwing away and the disposal options available in your area. Check out the steps below to see how your purchases go from the shelves to your trash bins and beyond.
- A manufacturing facility creates a product and sends it to the store or distribution facility.
- You buy the product, take it home and eventually throw the packaging or used materials away.
- You fill your garbage bin up throughout the week and roll it to the curb the night before trash collection day.
- The garbage company comes the next day, dumps your trash into the truck and drives away.
- Your banana peels, used paper towels and cardboard boxes usually go to a waste transfer station where the garbage is sorted and sent either to the landfill, a recycling center or a composting facility.
From there, your trash can take a few different routes.