United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(5305W)
EPA530-S-01-014
July 2001
www.epa.gov
Municipal Solid Waste in
The United States:
1999 Facts and Figures
Executive Summary
G e n e r
Reduction
Disposal
Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
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Executive Summary
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
IN THE UNITED STATES: 1999 FACTS AND FIGURES
Executive Summary
OVERVIEW
This report describes the national municipal solid waste (MSW) stream based on data collected
from 1960 through 1999. The historical perspective is useful for establishing trends in types of MSW
generated and in the ways it is managed. In this Executive Summary, we briefly describe the
methodology used to characterize MSW in the United States, and provide the latest facts and figures
on MSW generation, source reduction, recycling, and disposal. Details regarding the characterization of
municipal solid waste are presented in Chapters 2 through 4.
In this report, we are providing estimates for source reduction (waste prevention) for the first
time. Also, we are providing additional detail on generation, recycling, and disposal of consumer
electronics products. This consumer electronics information is briefly summarized in the Executive
Summary and in Chapter 2, with additional detail in Appendix B.
In the United States, we generated approximately 229.9 million tons of MSW in 1999 - an
increase of 6.9 million tons from 1998. This is about a 3 percent increase in waste generation from
1998. Excluding composting, the amount of MSW recycled increased to 50.8 million tons, an increase
of 2.4 million tons. This is a 5 percent increase in the tons recycled since 1998. The tons recovered for
recycling (including composting) rose to 64 million tons in 1999, up from 62 million tons in 1998. The
recovery rate for recycling (including composting) was 27.8 percent in 1999, up from 27.6 percent in
1998. (See Tables ES-1 and ES-2 and Figures ES-1 and ES-2).
* Data shown for 1998 has been adjusted to reflect the latest revisions to the data and methodology and, therefore,
may differ slightly from the same measure reported previously. For instance, the recycling rate for 1998 was revised
from last year's report, to equal 27.6 percent.
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Executive Summary
Table ES-1
GENERATION, MATERIALS RECOVERY, COMPOSTING,
AND DISCARDS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, 1960-1999
(In millions of tons)
Millions of Tons
Generation
Recovery for recycling
Recovery for composting*
Total Materials Recovery
Discards after Recovery
1960
88.1
5.6
Neg.
5.6
82.5
1970
121.1
8.0
Neg.
8.0
113.0
1980
151.6
14.5
Neg.
14.5
137.1
1990
205.2
29.0
4.2
33.2
172.0
1994
214.4
42 2
8.5
50.6
163.7
1995
211.4
45.3
9.6
54.9
156.5
1997
219.1
47.3
12.1
59.4
159.8
1998
223.0
48.4
13.1
61.6
161.5
1999
229.9
50.8
13.1
63.9
166
* Composting of yard trimmings and food wastes. Does not include mixed MSW composting or backyard composting.
Source: Franklin Associates
Table ES-2
GENERATION, MATERIALS RECOVERY, COMPOSTING,
AND DISCARDS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, 1960-1999
(In pounds per person per day)
Pounds per
Generation
Recovery for recycling
Recovery for composting*
Total Materials Recovery
Discards after Recovery
Population (thousands)
1960
2.68
0.17
Neg.
0.17
2.51
179,
979
1970
3.25
0.22
Neg.
0.22
3.04
203,98
4
1980
3.66
0.35
Neg.
0.35
3.31
227,25
5
Person per Day
1990
4.50
0.64
0.09
0.73
3.77
249,90
7
1994
4.51
0.89
0.18
1.06
3.44
260,68
2
1995
4.40
0.94
0.20
1.14
3.26
263,16
8
1997
4.49
0.97
0.25
1.22
3.27
267,64
5
1998
4.52
0.98
0.27
1.25
3.27
270,56
1
1999
4.62
1.02
0.26
1.28
3.33
272,69
1
*Composting of yard trimmings and food wastes. Does not include mixed MSW composting or backyard composting.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
Source: Franklin Associates
MSW generation in 1999 rose to 4.62 pounds per person per day, up from 4.52 pounds per
person per day in 1998. This is an increase of 0.1 pounds per person per day compared to 1998. The
recycling rate in 1999 was 1.28 pounds per person per day, up from 1.25 in 1998. Discards after
recycling rose to 3.33 from the 1998 value of 3.27 pounds per person per day (Table ES-3).
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Executive Summary
Table ES-3
GENERATION, MATERIALS RECOVERY, COMPOSTING,
AND DISCARDS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, 1960-1999
(In percent of total generation)
Percent of Total Generation
Generation
Recovery for recycling
Recovery for composting*
Total Materials Recovery
Discards after Recovery
1960
100.0
%
6.4%
Neg.
6.4%
93.6%
1970
100.0
%
6.6%
Neg.
6.6%
93.4%
1980
100.0%
9.6%
Neg.
9.6%
90.4%
1990
100.0%
14.2%
2.0%
16.2%
83.8%
1994
100.0%
19.7%
4.0%
23.6%
76.4%
1995
100.0%
21.5%
4.5%
26.0%
74.0%
1997
100.0%
21.6%
5.5%
27.1%
72.9%
1998
100.0%
21.7%
5.9%
27.6%
72.4%
1999
100.0%
22.1%
5.7%
27.8%
72.2%
*Composting of yard trimmings and food wastes. Does not include mixed MSW composting or backyard composting.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
Source: Franklin Associates
The state of the economy has a direct impact on consumption and waste generation. With the
strong economic growth that has occurred throughout the 1990s, waste generation has continued to
increase. Source reduction efforts have helped to dampen the increases in waste generation. On-site
yard waste composting, use of mulching mowers, and reductions in the weight of beverage containers
have been the main reasons for this success.
Using a baseline year of 1990, and comparing the actual waste generation to what the waste
generation would have been without source reduction, in 1999 about 50 million tons of waste was
prevented, or source reduced. In 1999 229.9 million tons of MSW were generated. Therefore, had this
level of source reduction not occurred, 22 percent more MSW would have been generated.
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Waste generation rates would be even higher, if not for waste prevention practices such as on-
site composting, leaving grass clippings on the lawn, and lightweighting of packaging materials.
Generation of yard trimmings during 1999 is estimated at 27.7 million tons, down from 35 million tons in
1990 (Table ES-4). Source reduction of MSW increased from 630,000 tons in 1992 to 50 million tons
in 1999. This is explained further at the end of this Executive Summary and in Chapter 4.
Over time, recycling rates have increased from 10 percent of the MSW generated in 1980 to
16 percent in 1990, to the current 28 percent. Disposal has decreased from 90 percent of the amount
generated in 1980 to 72.2 percent of MSW in 1999. This compares to 72.4 percent in 1998.
g
E
"o
>,
o
U)
ro
Figure ES-2: Waste Recycling Rates From 1960 to 1999
r
1960
1970
1980
1990
Total Waste Recycling (Y1)
Percent Recycling (Y2)
50.0%
40.0%
TI
CD
30.0% 8
^
zi
CD
O
*<
a_
5'
CQ
0.0%
1999
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Executive Summary
Table ES-4
GENERATION AND RECOVERY OF MATERIALS IN MSW, 1999
(In millions of tons and percent of generation of each material)
Paper and paperboard
Glass
Metals
Steel
Aluminum
Other nonferrous metals*
Total metals
Plastics
Rubber and leather
Textiles
Wood
Other materials
Total Materials in Products
Other wastes
Food, other**
Yard trimmings
Miscellaneous inorganic wastes
Total Other Wastes
TOTAL MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Weight
Generated
87.5
12.6
13.3
3.1
1.4
17.8
24.2
6.2
9.1
12.3
4.0
173.6
25.2
27.7
3.4
56.3
229.9
Weight
Recovered
36.7
2.9
4.5
0.9
0.9
6.3
1.4
0.8
1.2
0.7
0.9
50.8
0.6
12.6
Neg.
13.1
63.9
Recovery
as a Percent
of Generation
41.9%
23.4%
33.6%
27.8%
66.9%
35.2%
5.6%
12.7%
12.9%
5.9%
21.4%
29.3%
2.2%
45.3%
Neg.
23.3%
27.8%
ncludes Wastes from residential, commercia , and institutional sources.
*Includes lead from lead-acid batteries.
**Includes recovery of paper for composting.
Neg.= Less than 50,000 tons or 0.05 percent.
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IN 1999
EPA has two ways of analyzing the 229.9 million tons of MSW generated in 1999. The first is
by material (paper and paperboard, yard trimmings, food scraps, plastics, metals, glass, wood,
rubber, leather and textiles, and other), and the second is by several major product categories. The
product-based categories are containers and packaging; nondurable goods (e.g.,
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Executive Summary
newspapers); durable goods (e.g., appliances); yard trimmings; food scraps; and other materials.
Materials in MSW
Figure ES-3 provides a breakdown, by weight, of the MSW materials generated in 1999.
Paper and paperboard products made up the largest component of MSW generated (38 percent), and
yard trimmings comprised the second-largest material component (12 percent). Glass, metals, plastics,
wood, and food wastes each constituted between 5 and 11 percent of the total MSW generated.
Rubber, leather, and textiles combined made up about 7 percent of MSW, while other miscellaneous
wastes made up approximately 2 percent of the MSW generated in 1999.
A portion of each material category in MSW was recycled or composted in 1999. The
highest rates of recycling were achieved with yard trimmings, metals and paper. About 45 percent
(12.6 million tons) of yard trimmings were recovered for composting in 1999. This represents more
than a three-fold increase since 1990. About 42 percent (37 million tons) of paper and paperboard
were recovered for recycling in 1999. Recycling of these organic materials alone diverted over 21
percent of municipal solid waste from landfills and incineration.
Figure ES-3:1999 Total Waste Generation - 230 Million Tons
(Before Recycling)
Rubber, Leather, & Textiles 6.6%
Percent of total generation and millions of tons generated in 1999
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Executive Summary
In addition, about 6.3 million tons of metals were recovered for recycling, or 35 percent. Table ES-4
lists the recycling rates for 1999 for all of the materials categories.
Products in MSW
Figure ES-4 shows the breakdown, by weight, of product categories generated in 1999.
Containers and packaging comprised the largest portion of products generated, at 33 percent (76
million tons) of total MSW generation. Nondurable goods were the second-largest fraction, comprising
about 27 percent (62 million tons). The third-largest category of products is durable goods, which
comprised 15.4 percent (35 million tons) of total MSW generation.
Figure ES-4: Products Generated in MSW -1999
(Total Weight = 230 million tons)
Containers and Packaging 33.1%
Food Waste 10.9% |
Percent of total generation and millions of tons generated in 1999
Table ES-5 shows the generation and recovery of the product categories in MSW. This table
shows that recovery of containers and packaging was the highest of the three product categories - 37
percent of containers and packaging generated in 1999 was recovered for recycling. About 44 percent
of aluminum packaging was recovered (mostly beverage cans), while 57 percent of steel packaging
(mostly cans) was recovered. Paper and paperboard packaging recovery was estimated at 51 percent;
corrugated containers accounted for most of that figure.
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Executive Summary
Table ES-5
GENERATION AND RECOVERY OF PRODUCTS IN MSW
BY MATERIAL, 1999
(In millions of tons and percent of generation of each product)
Durable goods
Ferrous metals
Aluminum
Other non-ferrous metals
Total metals
Glass
Plastics
Rubber and leather
Wood
Textiles
Other materials
Total durable goods
Nondurable goods
Paper and paperboard
Plastics
Rubber and leather
Textiles
Other materials
Total nondurable goods
Containers and packaging
Steel
Aluminum
Total metals
Glass
Paper and paperboard
Plastics
Wood
Other materials
Total containers and packaging
Other wastes
Food wastes
Yard trimmings
Miscellaneous inorganic wastes
Total other wastes
TOTAT ivnnvrriPAT
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Executive Summary
Overall recovery of nondurable goods was 26.8 percent in 1999. The increase in recovery of
paper and paperboard products has been due to increases in recovery, over time, from all categories.
Newspapers constituted the largest portion of this recovery, with 59 percent of newspapers generated
being recovered for recycling. Fifty-three percent of high-grade office papers and 23 percent of
magazines were recovered in 1999.
Also within the nondurable goods, paper and paperboard category, key products whose
recovery rose the most from 1997 to 1999 include directories, standard (A) mail*, and newspapers. In
1997, 12.8 percent of directories were recovered, which increased to 16.2 percent in 1999 (100,000
tons per year in 1999). Recovery of standard (A) mail has increased from 18.1 percent in 1997, to
22.1 percent in 1999 (1.2 million tons in 1999). Recovery of newspapers increased from 54 percent of
newspapers in 1996 to 59 percent in 1999 (8.2 million tons in 1999.)
This year, selected consumer electronics, a new subcategory within nondurable goods, was
measured for the first time. The "selected consumer electronics" category consists of video products
such as TVs, VCRs and camcorders; audio products such as radios and some stereo systems; and
information products such as telephones, personal computers, and computer monitors and printers. This
"selected consumer electronics" category probably contains a major portion of consumer electronics,
but it may underestimate generation of this category, because of data limitations**.
*Standard (A) mail was formerly called 3rd class mail by the U.S. Postal Service.
** "Selected consumer electronics," as a subset of nondurable goods, may be an underestimation because certain
types of consumer electronics such as stereo systems made of components, were not included due to lack of sales
data. In addition, there was limited data on consumer electronic products shipped directly from manufacturers (or
their representatives) to large consumers. These products, though not included in "selected consumer electronics,"
are still included in the nondurable goods category.
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Executive Summary
In 1999, more than 400 million units of "selected consumer electronics" were shipped, up from
less than 150 million units shipped in 1984. "Selected consumer electronics," compared with all MSW,
resulted in 0.8 percent of the MSW generation; 0.3 percent of the recovery, and 1 percent of the
discards. Recovery, which could be overestimated, was 0.1 percent for video products, 21 percent for
information products, and negligible for audio products.
The nondurable category also includes clothing and other textile nondurable products - 15.2
percent of these were recovered for recycling in 1999.
Overall, durable goods were recovered at a rate of 16.6 percent in 1999. Nonferrous metals
had one of the highest recovery rates, at 67 percent, due to the high rate of lead recovery from lead-
acid batteries. Twenty-seven percent of ferrous metals were recovered from appliances and
miscellaneous durable goods. Excluding retreads and tire-derived fuel use, more than 26 percent of
tires also were recovered for recycling.
One of the products with particularly high recovery rates was lead-acid batteries, at 96.9
percent. Other products with particularly high recovery rates were corrugated boxes (65.1 percent),
steel in major appliances (52.2 percent), steel cans (56.1 percent), aluminum beverage cans (54.5
percent) and newspapers (59 percent).
RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL SOURCES OF MSW
Sources of MSW, as characterized in this report, include both residential and commercial
locations. We estimated residential waste (including waste from multi-family dwellings) to be 55 to 65
percent of total MSW generation. Commercial waste (including waste from schools, some industrial
sites where packaging is generated, and businesses) constitutes between 35 and 45 percent of MSW.
Local and regional factors, such as climate and level of commercial activity, contribute to these
variations.
MANAGEMENT OF MSW
Overview
EPA's integrated waste management hierarchy includes the following three components,
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Executive Summary
listed in order of preference:
Source reduction (or waste prevention), including reuse of products and on-site, or backyard
composting of yard trimmings.
Recycling, including off-site or community composting.
Disposal, including waste combustion (preferably with energy recovery) and landfilling.
Although EPA encourages the use of strategies that emphasize the top of the hierarchy
whenever possible, all three components remain important within an integrated waste management
system.
Source Reduction
EPA has been measuring recycling rates for many years. When EPA established its waste
management hierarchy in 1989, it emphasized the importance of reducing the amount of waste created,
reusing whenever possible, and then recycling what is left. When municipal solid waste is reduced and
reused, this is called "source reduction" - meaning the material never enters the waste stream. It is
managed at the source of generation.
Source reduction, also called waste prevention, includes the design, manufacture, purchase, or
use of materials, such as products and packaging, to reduce their amount or toxicity before they enter
the MSW management system. Some examples of source reduction activities are:
Designing products or packaging to reduce the quantity or the toxicity of the materials used, or
to make them easy to reuse.
Reusing existing products or packaging; for example, refillable bottles, reusable pallets, and
reconditioned barrels and drums.
Lengthening the lives of products such as tires to postpone disposal.
Using packaging that reduces the amount of damage or spoilage to the product.
Managing nonproduct organic wastes (e.g., food scraps, yard trimmings) through on-site
composting or other alternatives to disposal (e.g., leaving grass clippings on the lawn).
EPA recently has been able to estimate source reduction for the nation based on national
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Executive Summary
production and disposal data. This has demonstrated some major successes in this area. In 1999, the
U.S. prevented more than 50 million tons of municipal solid waste from entering the waste stream.
Containers and packaging represent approximately 24 percent of the materials source
reduced in 1999, in addition to nondurable goods (e.g., newspapers, clothing) at 18
percent, durable goods (e.g., appliances, furniture, tires) at 11 percent, and other
MSW (e.g., yard trimmings, food scraps) at 47 percent.
As the nation has begun to realize the value of its resources, both financial and material, greater
efforts have been made to reduce waste generation. Table ES-6 shows that steady progress has been
made in waste prevention since 1990.
Table ES-6
Year
1992
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Tons Source
Reduced
630,000
7,974,000
21,418,000
23,286,000
32,019,000
40,319,000
50,042,000
Table ES-7 shows that almost half of the total waste prevented since 1990 comes from organic
waste materials such as yard trimmings and food wastes. This is likely the result of many locally enacted
bans on the disposal of yard waste from landfills around the country, as well as successful campaigns
promoting backyard composting and mulching lawn mowers.
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Executive Summary
Table ES-7
1999 Source Reduction by
Major Material Categories
Waste Stream Tons
Durable Goods (e.g. appliances, furniture)
Nondurable Goods (e.g. newspapers & clothing)
Containers & Packaging (e.g. bottles & boxes)
Other MSW (e.g. yard trimmings & food scraps)
Total Source Reduction (1990 baseline)
Source Reduced
5,289,000
8,956,000
12,004,000
23,793,000
50,042,000
But there also have been several materials within the categories, above, whose disposal rates
have increased. In particular, clothing and footwear show significant increased disposal rates, as do
plastic containers. Some of the rise in plastics use can be attributed to the long-term trend of
manufacturers substituting their glass packaging with plastic.
However, not all of these increases are due to material substitution. Much of this nation's
increased waste generation is due to the booming economy of the 1990s. Americans now find
themselves with a growing amount of discretionary spending dollars in their pockets after paying the
mortgage or rent. As a result of this growth in Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) dollars,
otherwise referred to as consumer spending, we have increasingly become a nation of consumers. The
result is an increasing need for the disposal of municipal solid waste. Still, the United States has made
progress in the area of waste reduction and reuse, as indicated by the 50 million tons of source
reduction in 1999 (1990 baseline).
Recycling
Recycling (including community composting) recovered 27.8 percent (63.9 million tons) of
MSW in 1999.
There were more than 9,300 curbside recycling programs in the United States in 1998. This is
up from about 8,900 curbside recycling programs in 1997.
About 3,800 yard trimmings composting programs were reported in 1998. This compared to
about 3,500 yard trimmings composting programs reported in 1997.
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Executive Summary
Disposal
An estimated 14.8 percent of MSW was combusted in 1999, down from 15.4 percent in
1998.** During 1999, about 57.4 percent of MSW was landfilled. Figure ES-5 shows that the number
of municipal solid waste landfills decreased substantially over the last 10 years,
from nearly 8,000 in 1988 to 2,314 in 1998 to 2,216 in 1999 - while the average landfill size
increased. At the national level, capacity does not appear to be a problem, although regional
dislocations sometimes occur.
Figure ES-5: Number of Landfills in the U.S.
OUULT
ynnn-
/ \j\j\j
finnn-
ouuu^
cnnn-
ouuu^
ACtCtCt-
'HJUU^
onnrv
oUULr
2000-
1000-
n
u
79
8
24
8
7379
I
89
6326
I
90
i i
i i
5812
I
91
i i
i i
53
9
86
2
44
\i
82
13
35
9
58
4
31 9^
I
95
3091
I
96
2514 i 1
231^...221£
I I
97 98 99
Source: BioCycle magazine, 1989-2000
**Data shown for 1998 has been adjusted to reflect the latest revisions to data and methodology and therefore may
differ slightly from the same measure reported previously. For instance the combustion fraction for 1998 was revised
downward from last year's report, to equal 15.4 percent.
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Executive Summary
As recovery rates have remained stable, and combustion decreased slightly, the percentage of
MSW discarded to landfills increased slightly from 1997 to 1999. Over the long term, the
tonnage landfilled rose from 123.4 million tons in 1980 to 131.9 million tons landfilled in 1999.
The net per capita discard rate (after recovery for recycling) was 3.33 pounds per person per
day in 1999, up slightly from 3.27 pounds per person per day in 1998 (Table ES-2).
Figure ES-6 shows MSW recovered for recycling (including composting) and disposed of by
combustion and landfilling in 1999. In 1999, 63.9 million tons (27.8 percent) of MSW was recycled,
34 million tons was combusted (14.8 percent) and 131.9 million tons (57.4 percent) was landfilled.
(Relatively small amounts of this total undoubtedly were littered or illegally dumped rather than
landfilled.)
Figure ES-6: Management of MSW in the U.S.
Land Disposal
57%
Combustion
15%
Recovery
28%
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Executive Summary
PERSPECTIVE FOR THE NATION
As economic growth results in more products and materials being generated, there will be an
increased need to invest in source reduction activities such as lightweighting of products and packaging,
reuse of products, grasscycling, and backyard composting. Also important, will be utilizing existing
recycling and composting facilities, further developing this infrastructure, and buying recycled products,
to conserve resources and minimize our dependence on disposal through combustion and landfilling.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
This report and related additional data is available on the Internet at www.epa.gov/osw.
Additional information on source reduction is available in National Source Reduction
Characterization Report for Municipal Solid Waste in the United States., EPA530-R-99-034,
November 1999.
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