Before You Build

Of the 40 million tons of plastic waste generated in the U.S. in 2021, only 5% to 6% — or about two million tons — was recycled. Every hour, 2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown away in the U.S., which take up to 450 years to degrade. Globally, 40% of the food produced is wasted. The food lost on farms alone could feed every undernourished person in the world four times over.