United States             Solid Waste and
                      Environmental Protection       Emergency Response           EPA/530-F-92-019
                      Agency                 (OS-305)                   June 1992

                      Office of Solid Waste
&EPA         Environmental
                      Fact Sheet
                      Characterizing Municipal Solid Waste:
                      Facts and Figures

                      EPA recently released the 1992 Update to its report "Characterization of
                      Municipal Solid Waste in the United States." MSW refers to waste generated
                      by commercial and household sources that is typically collected and disposed in
                      municipal solid waste facilities. The report presents information from 1960 to 1990
                      on waste generation, disposal, combustion, and recovery through composting and
                      recycling. This fact sheet highlights some of the reports key findings reflecting
                      national approximations and projections.

 The Current Picture

 Recycling Makes Large Gains

    In 1990, Americans generated 195 million tons of municipal solid waste, an eight
 percent increase over 1988. Of this total, 33 million tons were recovered for recycling
 or composting,  representing a 17 percent recycling rate in 1990. This compares to a
 13 percent rate in 1988. The amount of yard debris that was collected for composting
 increased dramatically, from 2 percent of yard debris in 1988 to 12 percent in 1990.
 The net result is that between 1985 and 1990, the amount of material recovered
 annually from MSW more than doubled, from 16.4 to 33.4 million tons. Two
 important factors in these improvements are the efforts of communities to compost
 yard trimmings and to set up recycling programs, and the efforts of manufacturers
 to use more recycled materials recovered from MSW.

 Waste Generation Rates Also Rising

    Despite this  good news,  Americans are still producing more garbage today  than
 ever before.  In  1988, U.S. households, commercial establishments, and institutions
 generated 180 million tons  of MSW, or 4 pounds per person per day (ppd).  In 1990,
 the per capita waste generation rate jumped to 4.3 ppd. So, although Americans
 recycled more, they also generated and threw away more: evidence that many
 opportunities for recycling and source reduction still exist. (Simply put, source
 reduction is waste prevention. It includes many actions that reduce the overall
 amount or toxicity of waste created.)

 MSW Management After Recycling and Composting

    In 1990, 16 percent of all MSW was managed by combustion, up from 14 percent in
 1988.  The amount of MSW landfilled is on the decline, from 73 percent in 1988 to 67
 percent in 1990. The study projects an increase in combustion with energy recovery
 and a continued decrease in landfllling through the 1990s.

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                      United States             Solid Waste and
                      Environmental Protection       Emergency Response           EPA/530-F-92-019
                      Agency                 (OS-305)                   June 1992

                      Office of Solid Waste
SEPA         Environmental
                      Fact Sheet
                      Characterizing Municipal Solid Waste:
                      Facts and Figures

                      EPA recently released the 1992 Update to its report 'Characterization of
                      Municipal Solid Waste in the United States." MSW refers to waste generated
                      by commercial and household sources that is typically collected and disposed in
                      municipal solid waste facilities. The report presents information from 1960 to 1990
                      on waste generation, disposal, combustion, and recovery through composting and
                      recycling. This fact sheet highlights some of the report's key findings reflecting
                      national approximations and projections.

 The Current Picture

 Recycling Makes Large Gains

    In 1990, Americans generated 195 million tons of municipal solid waste, an eight
 percent increase over 1988. Of this total, 33 million tons were recovered for recycling
 or composting,  representing a 17 percent recycling rate in 1990. This compares to a
 13 percent rate in 1988. The amount of yard debris that was collected for composting
 increased dramatically, from 2 percent of yard debris in 1988 to 12 percent in 1990.
 The net result is that between 1985 and 1990, the amount of material recovered
 annually from MSW more than doubled, from 16.4 to 33.4 million tons. Two
 important factors in these improvements are the efforts of communities to compost
 yard trimmings and to set up recycling programs, and the efforts of manufacturers
 to use more recycled materials recovered from MSW.

 Waste Generation Rates Also Rising

    Despite this  good news, Americans are still producing more garbage today  than
 ever before.  In  1988, U.S. households, commercial establishments, and institutions
 generated 180 million tons of MSW, or 4 pounds per person per day (ppd).  In  1990,
 the per capita waste generation rate jumped to 4.3 ppd. So, although Americans
 recycled more, they also generated and threw away more: evidence that many
 opportunities for recycling and source reduction still exist. (Simply put, source
 reduction is waste prevention. It includes many actions that reduce the overall
 amount or toxicity of waste created.)

 MSW Management After Recycling and Composting
    In 1990, 16 percent of all MSW was managed by combustion, up from 14 percent in
 1988.  The amount of MSW landfilled is on the decline, from 73 percent in 1988 to 67
 percent in 1990. The study projects an increase in combustion with energy recovery
 and a continued decrease in landfilling through the 1990s.

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