If you haven’t heard the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) statics and facts on municipal waste in the United States, then you’re probably living under a rock.

After researching landfills and recycling efforts, the same facts were repeated over and over again:

• In 2014 (the most recent year with data), the US generated 258 million tons of waste.
• Americans represent 5% of the world’s population, but generate 30% of the world’s garbage.
• US disposal costs exceed $100 billion annually.
• The average American throws away 4.4 pounds of trash every day.

These facts are alarming, but it’s hard to change our ways when throwing things away has become so deeply embedded in our culture.

You’re probably thinking, “There’s no way I’m one of the people contributing to that large amount of waste.” But think about it… The bottled water you bought at the convenience store, the fast food you grab in between classes, and the coffee you had to have for your afternoon pick-me-up all generate waste! (With a slim chance of being recycled.)

Packing material accounts for one-third of all the waste in the U.S. and 10% of that waste is from single-use discard items (paper coffee cups, styrofoam containers, plastic bottles, and plastic utensils).

It’s easy to ignore the issue because, in the U.S., we have an amazing waste management system. So, you don’t have to see the trash on the streets and you’re not sailing across the Pacific Ocean trying to navigate in marine debris. The issue is so far out of sight, it’s hard to perceive it as a threat.

The facts aren’t lying, though, and it’s time for us to change the narrative!

You’ve probably noticed the booming popularity of the zero-waste movement or at least have seen Laura Singer’s Ted Talk. (Over three years since starting the zero-waste movement, she managed to keep her total amount of trash in a single mason jar.)