4 2 ▁to ▁ 5 6 3 ▁kil og rams ) ▁per ▁person ▁per ▁year . ▁Cont ain ers ▁and ▁pack aging ▁now ▁represent ▁ 3 2 ▁percent ▁of ▁all ▁municipal ▁solid ▁waste . ▁Non - d urable ▁goods ▁( defined ▁as ▁products ▁in ▁use ▁for ▁less ▁than ▁three ▁years ) ▁const itute ▁ 2 7 ▁percent , ▁while ▁dur able ▁goods ▁compr ise ▁ 1 6 ▁percent . ▁ ▁Food ▁service ▁and ▁dispos able ▁food ▁pack aging ▁▁ ▁Dis pos able ▁table ware ▁was ▁a ▁key ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁business ▁strategy ▁of ▁chain ▁fast ▁food ▁restaur ants ▁in ▁the ▁US . ▁In ▁order ▁for ▁the ▁business ▁model ▁to ▁work , ▁fast ▁food ▁ch ains ▁found ▁it ▁econom ically ▁advantage ous ▁to ▁conv ince ▁consum ers ▁through ▁advert ising ▁campaign s ▁to ▁carry ▁their ▁own ▁table ware ▁to ▁a ▁waste ▁b ins , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁avoid ▁labor ▁exp enses ▁in cur red ▁in ▁clear ing ▁tables . ▁ ▁By ▁establish ing ▁a ▁custom ▁in ▁which ▁customers ▁are ▁encourag ed ▁to ▁carry ▁dispos ables , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁internal ▁costs ▁of ▁the ▁dispos able ▁table ware ▁can ▁be ▁offset . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁Taiwan ▁began ▁taking ▁action ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁dispos able ▁table ware ▁at ▁institutions ▁and ▁business es , ▁and ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁pl astic ▁b ags . ▁Year ly , ▁the ▁nation ▁of ▁ 1 7 . 7 ▁million ▁people ▁was ▁producing ▁ ▁of ▁dispos able ▁table ware ▁waste ▁and ▁ ▁of