Nation's Landfills Nearly Full?

At 4.5 Pounds Per Person Per Day, Trash Is Brimming At The Dump Americans toss, on average, about four and a half pounds of garbage every day for a whopping total of 245 million tons per year, according to the latest figures. And where will it all go, as the population continues to climb? One industry expert says landfill capacity is already running short in some places, though scares of this kind have proven false in the past. The larger is issue is one of wise use of resources: The old reduce-reuse-recycle mantra is still a wise credo.