Charts
New Study Gives a Close Look at Global Waste and Recycling
A study by Paper Boss sheds light on the countries generating the most garbage per person, revealing critical insights into global waste production and recycling efforts. The top 10 waste-producing nations are Bahrain, Comoros, Canada, Denmark, the U.S., Kuwait, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Moldova, and Luxembourg.
Click below to zoom.
Bahrain, despite its small size, leads the list with 907 kilograms of waste per person annually. Rapid population growth and high levels of construction and industrial activity contribute significantly to this figure. Canada, ranking third with 777 kilograms of waste per person, offsets some of its impact by recycling 27% of its trash.
Germany stands out as the global leader in recycling, with an impressive 47% recycling rate. This success stems from a well-established culture of sustainability, where children are taught to separate waste from an early age. Strict regulations, including fines for failing to recycle, further reinforce this commitment.
Interestingly, nations like Switzerland, Denmark, and Luxembourg appear on both the highest waste-producing and top-recycling lists, reflecting a complex balance between consumption and sustainability efforts.
The study underscores the pressing need to address rising waste levels worldwide. Countries like Germany demonstrate how prioritizing education, infrastructure, and accountability can lead to more sustainable practices. By adopting such strategies, other nations could work toward effectively reducing their environmental footprint and combating the global waste crisis.
Charts
New Study Reveals Details About American Intimacy
NapLab’s new study, “Most Popular Sex Positions,” is so much more than a cheeky peek at bedroom habits. It’s a fascinating examination of human intimacy, preference, and evolving sexual behaviors over time. The team employed bright visuals, clear rankings, and easy-to-read data that compile their survey responses into a graphic that shows us which sex positions are most popular and how that preference changes and shifts over time.
Click below to zoom.
The results are not surprising at first glance. The most popular positions are missionary, doggy style, and cowgirl. But a closer look at the data tells a more nuanced story. We can see that younger adults are more likely to favor adventurous or dominating positions, while older people prefer positions that emphasize comfort and emotional connection. People who have been in relationships longer seek positions based on comfort and ease of movement. This may be partially due to physical ease, but it also speaks to emotional and psychological needs.
This chart stands out for its ability to discuss a sensitive topic respectfully yet engagingly. The team skillfully avoids judgment and sensationalism in its presentation of the data. The visual format is approachable for readers who may shy away from the details and feel uncomfortable reading about sexual preferences. The graphic helps normalize conversations about sex, encourages healthy communications between partners, and promotes the idea of discussing desire to improve sex lives.
Gender differences are on display here, too. Men and women enjoy a variety of positions, but we see variations in the rankings that reflect different desires for control, stimulation, and connection. Rather than reinforce gender stereotypes, these differences highlight why communication is so important in a sexual relationship. It’s normal for one partner to enjoy something a little different from the other, and exploring those differences together will lead to a better experience for both partners.
This chart’s strength lies in the different ways it can serve the audience. For curious people, the graphic prompts a reflection on personal preferences. For couples, this could be a useful and judgment-free tool for trying something new and exploring what feels good. Educators and therapists could use the graphic as a visual aid while discussing intimacy in a data-driven way.
The most meaningful takeaway is the reminder that there’s no one “correct” way to have sex. Preferences and variations are common and natural. Some people seek novelty while others value comfort. Some want connection while others are seeking a thrill. The study reinforces the fact that open communication, consent, and a willingness to understand a partner’s needs are the path to a happy sex life.
This study is more than a chart of sex positions. It’s a cultural glimpse into intimate relations and the ways we connect physically and emotionally while opening the door to deeper conversation about pleasure, partnership, and trust, all while keeping the topic light, respectful, and fun.
Charts
Study Shows Where Americans Experience the Most and Longest Power Outages
The team at Ooma sheds light on a common American annoyance: power outages. The team studied data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration to figure out which states had the most and least power outages, as well as the places where the power is out the longest. We see clear differences on the map and in the ranking system that indicate that the national power grid is weaker in some spots and that others are more geographically prone to storms that produce outages.
Click below to zoom.
One state emerges as the place where the lights go out the most. Perhaps it’s fitting that Stephen King’s spooky home state of Maine emerges as the place with the highest number of annual power outages. Mainers experience an average of 4.75 outages per year, with the longest consolidated time spent in the dark being 1,386 minutes per customer, just under 24 hours.
It should come as no surprise that the Pine Tree State is the most heavily forested in the nation. Falling trees and limbs are the biggest cause of power outages, so these two factors must be linked. Much of Maine is rural with an aging power grid infrastructure, and the state is known for having strong snow and ice storms that can knock out the power, too.
These are the ten states that have the most power outages per year:
- Maine: 4.75
- Alaska: 3.66
- Louisiana: 2.65
- Tennessee: 2.50
- West Virginia: 2.41
- Hawaii: 2.38
- Mississippi: 2.13
- Georgia: 2.01
- Oklahoma: 1.98
- Kentucky: 1.97
For people seeking a place where the power is more reliable, the team found that Utah and Wisconsin took the crown for the fewest outages. Both average less than one outage per year. Utah’s power grid is updated, strong, and well-maintained, a powerful mix with the state’s mild weather, with fewer storms to knock down power lines.
Overall, these ten states have the fewest power outages:
- Utah: 0.67
- Wisconsin: 0.68
- Nebraska: 0.81
- Colorado: 0.84
- Wyoming: 0.88
- Kansas: 0.89
- Maryland: 0.91
- Delaware: 0.95
- Minnesota: 1.04
- Iowa: 1.05
One state emerges above the others with the longest length of power outages. Louisiana outages last 470 minutes on average per customer, which means Louisiana residents face nearly eight hours without power during each outage. These lengthy outages are likely due to strong hurricanes and tropical storms that knock out power for millions and cause complications like flooding that slow down crews trying to repair the damage. Louisiana’s longest outages in the past few years happened during the destructive Hurricane Ida.
Other states on the Gulf Coast also deal with long outages, like Texas’s 328-minute average and Mississippi’s 399-minute average. After huge, powerful storms, crews may need days to restore power to all the customers. Texas is estimated to have the oldest and least functional grid in the U.S., which drops its rankings. Explore the data to see what patterns and potential causes you notice.
Business Visualizations
Study Analyzes How Company Age Shapes Remote Work Adoption
Before the Internet, the traditional workday happened on-site or in an office space. Businesses relied on face-to-face interaction in customer service and functions. Physical presences were needed to answer phones, greet clients, keep a filing system, and produce work. But high-speed internet access and video conferencing changed the face of the workday. Office-based work was no longer necessary. The COVID-10 pandemic pushed workers home by necessity, and once the danger passed, employees began to demand the continuing flexibility of a work-at-home schedule. However, not every company or business is ready to adapt.
The team at Ooma performed a comprehensive analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 Annual Business Survey. The findings revealed interesting patterns in how the age of a company influences its decision to offer remote work. The youngest companies, those under 2 years old, most commonly offered work-from-home options at 43.9%. The older the company, the fewer remote work options there were. Here are the statistics: 41.8% for businesses aged 2–3 years, 40.8% for 4–5 years, 40.4% for 6–10 years, 38.2% for 11–15 years, and 35.6% for companies with 16 or more years in operation.
Click below to zoom.
When studying why companies don’t adopt remote work, the primary obstacle was clear and consistent across companies of all ages. 56.8% to 69.1% of companies said that job incompatibility was the biggest barrier to remote work. Obviously, not all tasks can be performed remotely. After job incompatibility, companies cited security concerns as the biggest barrier to remote work. However, the younger the company, the less likely they were to have computer security concerns. Younger companies are more likely to rely on cloud-based work software with built-in security features.
After these two reasons, management complexity was the most common barrier. The larger the company, the more difficult managing remote workers might become. The most interesting category might have been the data on companies reporting “no limiting factors” to remote work. 39.7% of the youngest companies said there were no barriers and 27.6% of the oldest companies believed there were no barriers to offering remote work.
The team also examined the number of remote workers and changes over time. It was clear that the COVID-19 pandemic skyrocketed the number of remote workers. Only 23% of remote work-capable employees actually worked from home in 2019. By 2023, 35% of these employees worked from home, down from the pandemic peak of 38% in 2021. Although there was a peak in remote work at the height of the pandemic, it’s clear that remote work is much more common now than it was before the pandemic.
The findings point to newer companies having more willingness and capability to offer remote work, though large legacy businesses have the biggest staff and most resources to hire remote workers. However, they have the biggest challenges in adapting old systems to new ways of working, a task young companies don’t need to worry about.
-
Business Visualizations11 months ago
Everything Owned by Apple
-
Business Visualizations10 months ago
America’s Most Valuable Companies Ranked by Profit per Employee
-
Business Visualizations4 months ago
The Biggest Employers by Industry
-
Business Visualizations6 months ago
The Biggest Fortune 500 Company in Every State
-
Maps2 years ago
Penis Lengths Around the World
-
Charts2 years ago
The Most Promiscuous Countries in the World
-
Timelines2 years ago
A History of the Oldest Flags in the World
-
Business Visualizations2 years ago
How Many Companies Does Elon Musk Own?