The table compares information about the levels of waste production, in millions of tonnes, in six different nations between 1980 and 2000.
Overall, waste production increased in most of the countries over the period, with the US was the largest producer of waste throughout the period, while Korea was the only country that saw a decline between 1990 and 2000.
In 1980, the US produced the highest amount of waste at 131 million tonnes, and this figure rose steadily to 192 million tonnes in 2000. Japan followed the same upward trend, increasing from 28 to 53 million tonnes over the two decades. Meanwhile, both Ireland and Portugal, though starting with relatively small amounts of waste at 0.6 and 2 million tonnes respectively in 1980, showed growth, reaching 5 million tonnes each by 2000.
By contrast, Korea demonstrated a different pattern. Although its waste output reached 31 million tonnes in 1990, it declined to 19 million tonnes in 2000, making it the only country to reduce waste during the period. Poland, on the other hand, saw a modest rise from 4 to 6.6 million tonnes between 1980 and 2000.