US waste driving global garbage glut: Study

The United States is driving a worldwide waste boom that poses a severe risk to human health, the environment and the economy, according to anew study of global garbage trends published Wednesday.

Data on the combined solid, plastic, food and hazardous waste of 194 countries showed that the world now produces an average of 2.1 billion tonnes of trash each year -- enough to fill more than 820,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Just 16 per cent of this (323 million tonnes) is recycled, while 950 million tonnes is disposed of "unsustainably", according to risk management firm Verisk Maplecroft.

Analysis showed that US citizens and businesses produce far more per capita than their fair share.

At an average of 773 kilograms per head, the country generates around 12 per cent of global municipal solid waste -- approximately 239 million tonnes annually.

This is over three times the global average and more than seven times that of Ethiopia, the least wasteful nation.

In addition, the US' ...