Plastic Footprint Calculator

The US average is about 130 kg per person per year in plastic waste. A person who drinks 2 plastic bottles per day, uses plastic bags for groceries, and has standard takeaway and personal care habits will typically generate 60-120 kg of plastic waste annually.

In most of the US, only plastic types 1 (PET - clear bottles) and 2 (HDPE - milk jugs, detergent bottles) are reliably recycled. Types 3-7 and mixed plastics often go to landfill even if you place them in the recycling bin. Contamination (food residue) also diverts otherwise recyclable plastic to waste.

Eliminating single-use plastic water bottles is usually the highest-volume single change for most people. Switching to a reusable bottle and filling from tap or filtered water eliminates 7+ kg of PET plastic per year for a daily buyer, and saves roughly $500-1,000 per year at typical store prices.

Compostable plastics are better only if they are composted in an industrial composting facility - most do not break down in home compost or landfill conditions. Bioplastics made from plants still produce microplastics if they end up in the ocean. Reuse beats compostable every time on lifecycle impact.