47 Eco Friendly Stats That Will Blow Your Mind

It can be difficult to draw an accurate picture of how much we eat and how much we waste. Our unhealthy habits are harming the planet at an alarming pace.

From cloudy pollution to mass extinction of species of animal and plants, to the rapid destruction of rainforests , and ever-growing carbon footprints, we’re placing the environment in danger every day.

To illustrate how dire this situation really is, we’ve compiled some crucial eco-friendly statistics concerning sustainable living energy, water, waste and pollution.

Statistics on sustainable green living

1. The world’s human number is currently 6.7 billion. The United Nations believes that we’ll rise to 9 billion in 2050. A large amount of people is likely to place a massive pressure on resources already under strain. Water and food will be among one of the areas most affected.

2. Around 20-50 million tons of electronic waste are produced every year in the world. From this, just 11.4 percent is reclaimed to be recycled, however the majority of it never is recycled. The remainder is disposed of in the landfills.

3. For every ton of recycled paper 17 trees, 2 barrels of oils , and 4,100 Kilowatts of energy is saved. Recycling glass is able to save 9 gallons oil.

4. There are 2.7 billion users of smartphones across the globe. Americans upgrade their smartphones in about 18 months on average. A majority of them are in good condition.

5. Based on Co-op America, the pulp and paper industry is the biggest consumer of water in industrial processes.

6. More than 100 million tonnes plastics are used in the globe today, an increase from around 5 million tonnes in 1950s.

7. In terms of plastics, around 5 trillion bags of plastic are used around the world every year.

8. In a period when nearly one billion people are hungry and suffer from hunger, it’s a sad fact that nearly one-third of all food that is produced globally is destroyed or thrown away.

9. 48 percent of U.S. consumers are ready to alter their habits of consumption to help save the planet. They have spent $128.5 billion on environmentally friendly Fast-moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) products in 2018.

10. According to a report from the New Climate Economy, we could save $26 trillion in 2030 if we get started living environmentally.

Stats on conservation and water waste

11. A faucet that leaks just one drop of water every second could add up to an average of 165 gallons in a month. It’s more the amount you will use over two months.

12. Just 3.5% of world’s drinking water is safe to drink (freshwater). From the above, 2.5 percent is frozen in Antarctica, Arctic, and glaciers. This means that we are left with 0.5 percent freshwater available to serve all humanity.

13. A typical American family of four people consumes approximately the equivalent of 260 gallons of drinking water around the house each day.

14. Utilizing a smart, energy-efficient washing machine will save you more water in the course of a year than anyone consumes throughout their lifetime.

Statistics on conservation of energy

15. Switch between incandescent light bulbs and energy-efficient bulbs, and you’ll be using 75% less energy.

16. A typical home uses 29 percent of the world’s energy, which is equivalent to 21 % of carbon dioxide emissions.

17. When all the computers within the US were Energy Star compliant, a staggering 1.8 billion dollars of savings could be made every year. This could result in a reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases that are equivalent to those from two million automobiles.

18. Families can save up to $3,000 through the installation of Energy Star-compliant, high-efficiency electric water heaters.

19. Set up chairs and desks near windows, and you’ll not require any artificial lighting throughout the day.

20. A lightbulb that has a thick layer of dust could stop up to half the light, requiring the use of energy-intensive bulbs to get sufficient lighting.

21. You could save up to 70% of power that you use in your home by shutting off the outlets at your home. The power used by idle devices is a significant power consumer. A typical desktop computer will consume up to 80 watts when shut off.

Information on waste

22. A single-sided, 10-page letter is $.55 however, if you print on both sides , you cut the amount of sheets of paper by half. This results in a lower cost for mailing by only $.34.

23. In the year 2016 alone, 2.01 billion tonnes of solid waste was produced by cities across the globe. This is equivalent to an average of 0.74 kilograms for each person per day. It is predicted to rise by 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050.

24. Plastic bags for shopping are a huge source of waste that has massive harm to the environmental. Change to recyclable bags.

25. As per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) about 1/3 of all food in the world goes to waste each year. It’s time to focus on the consumption of food that is sustainable.

26. In the Christmas season, an average in 83 square kilometers worth of wrapping material is discarded at UK bins, instead of being reused.

27. Office workers use over 500 paper cups every year.

28. The time between Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day sees an extra million tonnes of waste being generated each week.

29. The equivalent of 38 million miles is dumped in landfills every year. This is enough to tie an earth-bound bow.

30. Over 34 million tons electronic waste are thrown away all over the world each year.

Plastic, air and toxic pollution figures

31. Nearly 7 million people die each year due to air pollution, with 90 percent of those deaths happening in countries with moderate and low income.

32. 5000 people die every day from drinking unclean water.

33. A record 1 million seabirds as well as 100 million mammals die due to pollution each year.

34. Pulp and paper industries release more than 100 million tonnes of toxic pollutants in both Canada as well as America. United States annually.

35. Plastic straws pose a threat for beaches across the globe with as high as 8.3 billion plastic straws scattered on beaches.

36. More than eight billion aluminium cans get consumed each year across the world.

37. One plastic bottle recycled saves enough energy to power the bulb at 100 watts for four hours. Additionally, it creates 20 percent less pollution in the air and 50 percent less water pollution than is generated by the creation of a brand new bottle.

38. 2.5 million bottles of plastic are thrown out across the United States every hour. This is about 42,000 bottles per minute, or 695 bottles per second.

39. Today, there are greater than 500 million automobiles around the globe. This number is projected to increase to more than one billion by 2030. That means that the carbon emissions caused by vehicles could double within the next decade.

40. 1.2 trillion gallon of stormwater, sewage and industrial wastes are thrown into US water each year.

Climate Change Stats

41. The most devastating effects of climate change may be irreparable in 2030. We have just 10 years to reduce our carbon footprint to avoid the most devastating climate effects.

42. Climate change is putting more than 1 million species in danger of being extinct. A quarter of amphibians may be extinct in the near future due to the climate changes.

43. The climate change is altering the seasons and causing the fall, winters and springs to get shorter, while summer continues into the supposed cooler months.

44. The carbon dioxide concentration (CO2) in the environment was at 408 parts per million in 2018, which was the highest level it has seen for 3 million years.

45. The population of 800 million is at risk of climate change-related impacts like floods, droughts heatwaves, extreme weather events, as well as sea-level rising.

46. The glaciers on Earth are losing 390 trillion tons snow and ice each year.

47. Extreme weather conditions that were caused by climate change claimed the lives of nearly 250 Americans and cost the nation an estimated $91 billion in the year 2018.

Are you shocked by these grim green statistics? Good. It’s a stark reminder that we all need to think about our habits every day and start being more responsible starting today. Achieving an eco-friendly living is the only option to help save the environment.