American servicemembers produce about three times more trash than locals.

Evidence

Even seemingly quotidian issues like ordinary trash disposal illustrate the damaging environmental effects of overseas military bases. The problem is simple: U.S. bases abroad produce lots and lots of garbage. Local civilians also produce garbage, of course. But whereas the average Okinawan, for instance, produces 590 pounds of trash per year, the average GI in Okinawa produces some 1,500 pounds annually—almost three times as much. At Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan, the average marine produces eight pounds of trash a day, adding up to 2,290 pounds a year. And this is actually a low number for troops at war. Across war zones, U.S. troops average nine to twelve pounds of waste per day. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 398

Categorization

Category: Factual Claims