Dive Summary:
- Residents in California sent less trash to landfills in 2012 than the year before, according to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.
- The amount of trash generated daily by one person went from an average of 4.4 pounds in 2011 down to 4.3 pounds in 2012.
- Factors that led to waste reduction include recycling programs, a reduction in consumerism and the collapse of the housing market.
From the article:
"The state used to dump more than 8 pounds per person a day in 1989, the year the state's Integrated Waste Management Act went into effect, U-T-San Diego reports."
"Organic waste, such as food scraps and lawn trimmings, make up most of the state's waste. For that reason, large-scale composting will be a high priority in coming years."
