If fast food has such a significant impact on our society and economy, it is only natural that it should also have at least some effect on our environment. Presumably, the generalization of fast food in America, and now spreading all over the world, can lead to major negative impacts on our environment.
             The growth of the fast food industry has reached a staggering number. If there are so many millions or even billions of hamburgers, or chicken nuggets, or French fries sold each year, then imagine all the packaging that is thrown to waste. "One poll showed that Americans believe fast-food packaging took up between 20 and 30 percent of landfill space and expanded polystyrene foam between 25 to 40 percent. However, the Garbage Project found that fast-food packaging accounts for no more than one-third of one percent of the total volume of the average landfill." This is an issue that has been unfortunately blown out of proportion, but the fact is that there is still a fair amount of trash resulting from this amount of consumption.
             Not only does this waste factor affect our landfills, but there is also the factor that people are too lazy even to reach a trashcan. Pollution is a continuous problem in our society, and the pollution of such things as fast food packaging can have consequences on our environment. An example of these effects is pollution leading to bioaccumulation; which is caused when chemicals from fast food packaging get absorbed into the ground. Bioaccumulation is very important for the accumulation of vitamins and minerals but can be disastrous when it occurs with harmful chemicals. "Everything that touches the ground or goes in our trash eventually ends up in our rivers, drinking water, or on our plates at dinner. Plants are capable of taking up toxic chemicals from soil contamination. These toxins can then bioaccumulate through animals (including humans) eating the plants directly or from consuming another anima...