The pie charts illustrate the percentages of waste disposal in nine categories in one country in 1960 and 2011.
Overall, the proportions of food and plastic experienced significant increases, while textiles and paper witnessed the most notable declines. Other categories, such as green waste and glass, remained relatively stable over the whole period surveyed.
In 1960, the rate of paper waste was the highest, accounting for 25% of total waste. However, it fell to 15% in 2011. Similarly, textiles made up 17% in 1960 but then decreased to 11% in 2011. Notably, the category labeled ‘other’ experienced the most dramatic decline, plummeting from 12% to just 4% over the same period.
In contrast, food waste increased rapidly from 12% in 1960 to 21% in 2011, becoming the largest waste category compared to the others. Plastic also saw a sharp increase, growing from 8% to 18%. Meanwhile, metal and wood rose slightly by less than 5% over the 51-year period.
The figures for green waste and glass remained remarkably unchanged. While glass consistently accounted for 5%, green waste maintained a steady 9% throughout the period.