Has the waste generation increased or not?

Screen Shot 2015-12-09 at 10.27.34 AMGrade level: 5th

Skills: Subtraction (fraction)

Related environmental issues: Reduce, reuse & recycle

Area level: Household

The table shows how much waste was generated from the average person a day between 1960 and 2010 in the United States.

1.In which year, the average in the United States generated the largest amount of waste?

2.How much more waste was generated in 2010 than in 1960?

3.How much waste from the average person increased in 20 years from 1970?

4.How much waste increased between 1970 and 1980?

Source: US Energy Information Administration

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Answer keys

  1. in 2000
  2.  1  7/10 pounds (4  2/5 – 2  7/10 = 4  4/10 – 2  7/10 = 3  14/10 – 2  7/10 =1  7/10)
  3. 1   7/20 pounds  (4  3/5 – 3  1/4 = 4  12/20 – 3  5/20 = 1  7/20)
  4.  5/12 pounds  (3  2/3 – 3  1/4 = 3  8/12 – 3  3/12 = 5/12)