The typical household in Mexico City buys fewer packaged goods than American households, but it produces one-third more garbage, because Mexicans buy fresh foods in bulk and throw away large amounts that are spoiled or stale. Not surprisingly, food manufacturers save money when they use resources efficiently. A typical McDonald's discards under two ounces of garbage per customer, less than what's produced in an average meal at home. I have always assumed that my efforts save precious natural resources, and help ensure that future generations won't be buried by the garbage I generate. Recycling newspapers, it suggests, often makes little sense.
Paper is an agricultural product, made from trees grown specifically for paper production.
Our concerns about depleting non-renewable resources may also be overblown. Copper, tin and other metals are cheaper than ever, though 40 years ago conservationists urged rationing so that future generations would have telephone wires and food containers. Today, we send our phone calls through fiber optic cables, made from sand, and most food containers contain no tin at all. Thanks to human ingenuity, the cost of most natural resources has been declining for years. Modern landfills have little in common with the smelly town dump we remember from childhood.