Solid waste policy in the United States produce large amounts of waste in small areas. For example, EPA reports that a single dairy cow produces approximately 120 pounds of wet manure per day equaling to that of 20-40 people. The main problems of animal waste mismanagement are environmental, especially water pollution. Industrial waste consists of a significant amount of solid waste. EPA reported that each year United States industrial facilities generate and dispose of approximately 7.6 billion tons of industrial solid waste based on 1980s figures. This figure includes waste generated from 17 industrial manufacturers of organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, iron and steel, plastics and resins, stone,
Food waste table shows, industrialized and developing countries differ substantially. In developing countries, it is estimated that 400–500 calories per day per person are going to waste, while in developed countries 1,500 calories per day per person are wasted. In the former, more than 40% of losses occur at the postharvest and processing stages, while in the latter, more than 40% of losses occur at the retail and consumer levels. The total food waste by consumers in industrialized countries () is almost equal to the entire food production in sub-Saharan Africa (). A 2013 report from the British Institution of Mechanical Engineers