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  <h2 class="microsite-name"><a href="/climatechange">Climate Change</a></h2>  
  
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      <h1  class="page-title">Climate Change and Waste</h1>
      
    
            
    
    
    
  
    


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  <h3>On This Page</h3>

<ul><li><a href="#cycle">Climate and life cycle of stuff</a></li>
	<li><a href="#waste">Climate and waste statistics</a></li>
</ul><hr /><h2><a id="cycle" name="cycle"></a>Climate and life cycle of stuff</h2>

<p>Making smart choices about what we buy, how we use it, and how we dispose of it can make a big difference in the amount of waste we produce and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our consumption. The manufacture, distribution and use of the goods and food we rely on in our daily livesâ€”as well as management of the resulting wasteâ€”all require energy. This energy mostly comes from fossil fuels, which are the largest global source of heat-trapping <a href="/ghgemissions">greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions</a>.</p>

<p>In every stage of the life cycle, we can <a href="/recycle">reduce</a> our impact. Click on the Life Cycle of Stuff to learn about the greenhouse gas emissions that result from each step in a product's life cycle. Find out what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.</p>

<p><a href="/climatechange/climate-change-and-life-cycle-stuff"><span
    class="figure image file file-image file-image-jpeg view-mode-media_original" style="width:700px;"><img alt="Lifecycle" title="Image and link to Lifecycle" height="550" width="700" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/production/files/2016-08/lifecycle.jpg" /></span></a></p>

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<hr /><h2><a id="waste" name="waste"></a>Climate and waste statistics</h2>

<p>The 2009 report, <a href="/climatechange/opportunities-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-through-materials-and-land-management">Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Materials and Land Management Practices</a>, shows that approximately <strong>42 percent</strong> of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are associated with the energy used to produce, process, transport, and dispose of the food we eat and the goods we use. This includes the extraction or harvest of materials and food, production and transport of goods, provision of services, reuse of materials, recycling, composting, and disposal. The report also indicates the following:</p>

<ul><li><strong>29 percent</strong> of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions result from the provision of goods produced within the United States.</li>
	<li>The provision of food contributes another <strong>13 percent</strong> of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.</li>
	<li>Traditional â€œwasteâ€? management represents <strong>1 to 5 percent</strong> of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.</li>
</ul><p><span
    class="figure image file file-image file-image-png view-mode-full caption" style="width:525px;"><img alt="Systems-Based GHG Inventory US Emissions 2006" title="Graph of Systems-Based GHG Inventory US Emissions 2006" height="326" width="525" class="media-element file-full" typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/production/files/styles/large/public/2016-08/systems-based_ghg_inventory_us_emissions_2006.png" /><span class="figcaption">Source: <a href="/climatechange/opportunities-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-through-materials-and-land-management">Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Materials and Land Management Practices</a></span></span></p>

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    <p><span
    class="figure image file file-image file-image-png view-mode-media_original" style="width:218px;"><img alt="Rethink" title="Image of the word Rethink" height="55" width="218" class="media-element file-media-original" typeof="foaf:Image" src="/sites/production/files/2016-08/rethink.png" /></span>Rethink: Think Beyond Waste doesn't just mean making good decisions about the end of a product's life cycle (recycling, composting, energy recovery, and landfilling). It refers to sustainable materials management â€“ the use and reuse of materials in the most productive and sustainable way across their entire life cycle. Sustainable materials management conserves resources, reduces waste, and slows climate change. <a href="/smm">Learn more</a>.</p>
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