When you throw away the container from your McDonald's fries or toss that empty toilet paper roll in the trash, there's probably a good bet you forget about it the instant the lid on your garbage can closes. The earth can't dismiss it quite that quickly and considering just how much trash we generate each year in North America alone, it's no wonder landfills are overflowing.

Just to give you an idea of the scope of the trash problem in North America, check out some of these numbers:

- Data from the Environmental Protection Agency indicates that over 251 million tons of trash was generated by Americans in 2006.The per capita trash disposal rate during that year was 4.6 pounds per person every single day. Residences were responsible for 65 per cent of the garbage, while schools, businesses and medical facilities such as hospitals accounted for the remaining 35 per cent.

- Only one-third of this trash is recycled, with 55 per cent heading to local landfills and 12.5 being incinerated.

- The solid waste industry generates a $47 billion revenue each year and employs 368,000 people. Approximately 148,000 vehicles are used to transport trash to 1,754 landfills and 87 incinerators. Curbside recycling is collected in 8,660 communities and taken to 545 materials recovery facilities for sorting.

- Full landfills aren't the only problem; they are also responsible for liquids leaking into groundwater, as well as 2.3 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S in 2005.

The silver lining in all of this is that you can do your part to help lessen the burden on landfills by simply incorporating a few simple tips into your daily routine.

- Take the three Rs seriously and reduce the amount of trash you toss, and reuse and recycle as much as your can.

- Spend less time at the grocery store and mall, and buy only what you really need.

- Hit your local thrift store and buy secondhand when possible. You can also buy items, such as office paper and clothing that are made from recycled materials.

- Seek out items that use less packaging to reduce the amount you're throwing away. Also look for items that are sold in packaging that uses recycled materials.

- On that note, buy things that actually can be recycled.

- When you're through using something, be it a small item like a sweater or a more expensive gadget like an old computer, find a new home for it. Many organizations accept these types of items as donations. You can also try finding someone else who may have use for it on Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org.

For more information on the trash generated in America and how you can do your part to minimize the problem, check out Human Footprint on the National Geographic Channel, airing tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

» National Geographic Channel