Title: Hazardous Waste Statistics
Headings: Tons of hazardous waste thrown out
Tons of hazardous waste thrown out
13 tons of hazardous waste produced every single second
400-fold increase in hazardous waste generation
What is hazardous waste?
Where does hazardous waste come from?
700
Number of man-made chemicals found in humans NOT supposed to be there
We don’t know enough about how they affect us
But what we do know if not pleasant

Content: Hazardous waste is defined as waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health and/or the environment because it is toxic, infectious, radioactive or flammable. Where does hazardous waste come from? Hazardous waste is mainly generated by the following sectors: Chemical manufacturing
Manufacturing of petroleum and coal products
Waste treatment and disposal
Manufacturing of agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizer
Manufacturing of iron and steel
But hazardous waste also comes from products that we use every day, for example, batteries, cosmetics, cleaning products, paints, pharmaceuticals, electronics…
700
Number of man-made chemicals found in humans NOT supposed to be there
Hazardous chemicals are found everywhere and have contaminated every single ecosystem on the planet. Up to 700 man-made chemicals have been found in humans that are not supposed to be there. We don’t know enough about how they affect us
Currently only 14% of the chemicals used in the largest volumes have the minimum amount of data publicly available to make an initial basic safety assessment. But what we do know if not pleasant
The worst types of chemicals from hazardous waste interfere with our hormone systems and can cause cancer, reproductive problems, birth defects or damage the DNA of humans or animals. In a study of human chemical contamination, DDT and PCBs, two dangerous chemicals banned decades ago, were found in 99 % of the people tested. “Women who had breast-fed their babies had lower levels of certain PCBs than men, indicating that they had 'off-loaded' these chemicals on to their babies”. - WWF: