OPL INSIGHTS are developed by drawing from vast amounts of data garnered from the most reputable sources in the world. One Planet Life gathers, analyzes, and compiles this rich data, synthesizing it into easy-to-navigate, interactive insight guides specifically for you. Our exclusive insights focus on a variety of topics including sustainability, ecology, food waste, recycling, wellness, and more. One Planet Life also curates helpful tools and insights provided by Global Forest Watch, the Grace Communication Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and other reputable sources to give you a robust view of our world. With this knowledge, we can work together to support sustainability efforts and mitigate our current climate crisis.
Global Plastic Production 1950-Today
Plastic production has skyrocketed since the 1950s, outpacing any other manufactured material. Learn more about the effects plastic has on our environment, and its devastating consequences if we don’t curb our plastic usage.
US Recycling Rates by State
America’s recycling programs divert $2.6 billion worth of products from landfills annually. The chart above represents the total amount of plastic that is succesfully recycled and re-incorporated into new products, not products collected. Explore plastic’s history and discover the states leading the country’s recycling programs.
Plastic Waste Management
Too much of the plastic we produce ends up in a landfill. Sadly, only 9% of plastic gets recycled globally. In the United States, the share of plastic waste that gets recycled is even lower, with 73% of plastic ending up in landfills. Explore our insight to better understand the rise of plastic, how plastic waste is managed, and recycling rates by state.
Social Progress and Happiness
We dream of a world where people and the planet come first. To explore where we are today, we looked to social progress and happiness. We want a world where people are safe, healthy, and free. Use our interactive map to explore and compare social progress and world happiness data around the world.
How Income Impacts Water Access
A shocking 26% — nearly 2 billion people — do not have access to safely managed water, and 46% lack access to basic sanitation. Read our OPL Insight blog to learn more about water inequality and its causes.
Water Accessibility Around the Globe
Not everyone has instant access to water. Depending on where you live, you could be 30 minutes away from your nearest source. Explore water accessibility around the globe, and understand our current environmental and humanitarian water crisis.
Food Waste by Sector
Food waste management is a crucial factor in our fight against climate change. Gain a better understanding of where most food waste occurs in America. Then read our blog to learn what you can do about it.
Food Waste by Category and Sector
In America, 30-40% of produced food is never consumed. Discover which sector creates the most food waste for each food type. Then take a deeper dive to understand how global food waste is a major contributor to our climate crisis.
How Healthy Is Your State?
Data Insights into Five Key Climate Issues
One Planet Life has analyzed and compiled data on each state’s CO2 emission, air quality, water quality, waste, and overall pollution. We then ranked each state on a scale of 1 (sustainable) to 50 (least sustainable). See how your state rates.
The Ecological Deficit of the United States
Earth Overshoot Day measures the health of our planet against our carbon footprint, but each country and region has its own national deficit or reserve. As of 2024, the United States has a national biocapacity deficit of 110%. This means the United States’ ecological footprint is over twice its national biocapacity. Learn more here.
Tree Cover in the US
We love trees! Trees are a rich resource that gives us oxygen, store carbon, provide shade, stabilize soil, support animal life, provide building materials, and even have medicinal properties. Restoring trees is one of the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation. We are on a journey to learn more about trees and to increase trees everywhere. We invite you to explore the tree coverage and state trees in the United States.
Explore our interactive map to learn more about tree coverage by U.S. state.
Protected Land by U.S. State
The United States has 63 natural parks and protected lands, encompassing an area roughly 432,000 square miles (12% of the U.S.). Most protected land in the US is privately owned. Privately owned land can be used in a variety of ways, depending on zoning laws, without regard for natural habitats. Protected areas in the United States receive widely different levels of protection.
Explore our interactive map to discover notable parks and protected land by state, and which states have the most protected land. Then learn about how the United States wishes to increase protected land to 30% by 2030.
Biodiversity Around the World
There are over 10 million plant and animal species that share our Earth. Each plays a unique role in nature’s design. Bees and bats pollinate trees and plants, predators control prey, and trees control flooding and moderate our climate.
Our exclusive interactive map provides videos, photos, and other interesting facts about some of the unique species living on our planet.
Wildlife Crossings Around the World
Animals are losing access to large parts of their living space, and their migratory patterns are in jeopardy. Without sufficiently-connected habitats, wildife may struggle to find food or mates, placing the species in peril. The good news is efforts have been made to create special-purpose natural wildlife bridges to reconnect natural habitats.
Explore our interactive map to virtually discover wildlife bridges and green crossings across the globe.
MORE INSIGHTS
One Planet Life values reputable data and analytics to help us better understand our world and our place in it. We invite you to explore these additional resources and learn more about the planet we call home.
USDA's Local Food Directories
Local food is tastier and more nutritious than grocery store produce. Support your local farmers and establish a deeper connection to your community by shopping local. Use the USDA’s local food directories to find farmers’ markets, CSAs, and agritourism in your area.
United States Refill Store Directory
Get the products you love without negatively impacting the planet. Refill stores allow customers to shop more sustainably by allowing them to bring their own empty glass or plastic containers to be refilled. Use this helpful directory to find a refill store near you.
National Weather Service's HeatRisk Tool
The HeatRisk tool, provided by the National Weather Service, was developed by U.S. public health and climate experts to track dangerous heat up to a week out. Check out their site to better understand dangerous heat conditions in your area.
Global Forest Watch
Interested in learning where forests are and how they are changing around the world? Check out Global Forest Watch (GFW), which is a near real-time platform that provides data and tools for monitoring forests globally. Keep track of changes to forests, land coverage, and land usage, as well as the impact forest coverage has on climate change and biodiversity. Explore their maps and dashboards or download the Forest Watcher app for immediate access anytime.
Water Usage in the United States
The United States has large variances of water withdrawal between its states. This variance can depend on a range of factors, including latitude, climate, and the importance of a region’s agricultural or industrial sector.
On the state level, more than 50% of total withdrawals in the U.S were attributed to 12 states: California, Texas, Idaho, Florida, Arkansas, New York, Illinois, Colorado, North Carolina, Michigan, Montana, and Nebraska.
Explore the United States’ Geological Survey (USGS) maps for detailed information about water data in your area.
Water Usage Around the World
Water usage varies significantly around the world. The United States is one of the greatest water users per capita in the world, with the average American using about 1,500 cubic meters per year.
Delve deeper into global water usage data, provided by OurWorldinData.
How Much Water Do You Use?
Discover your water footprint! The Grace Communication Foundation (GRACE) developed this easy to use Water Footprint Calculator. Quickly calculate your usage of blue water, green water, grey water, and virtual water. Unseen water usage, or virtual water, is the water it takes to grow our food, make electricity, and manufacture home goods.
Jump in and see how you can make a difference by reducing your water usage! Even small changes make a big difference.
Shark Finder
OCEARCH’s mission is to accelerate the ocean’s return to balance and abundance. They use a data-centric approach to track sharks and other large sea life to help scientists collect previously unattainable data in the ocean. You can also learn from this science and follow your favorite shark, sea turtle, etc. Get started on their website below or download their app.
Download the OCEARCH app. It is a free and easy way to stay up to date on all the exciting science at OCEARCH. Track your favorite sharks in real-near time on any of your mobile devices.
Our Newsletter