United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5305)
EPA530-S-94-042
November 1994
&EPA
Characterization of
Municipal Solid Waste in the
United States: 1994 Update
Executive Summary
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Recycled/Recyclable as Newsprint • Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Recycled Paper (50% Postconsumer)
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA530-S-94-042
November 1994
ERRATA SHEET
Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States:
1994 Update
Executive Summary
Page 4, third bullet, change to read:
Between 1990 and 1993, recovery of materials for recycling and
composting increased from 33 million tons to 45 million tons, an
increase of 37 percent.
&EPA
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5305)
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CHARACTERIZATION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
IN THE UNITED STATES: 1994 UPDATE
Executive Summary
Management of the nation's municipal solid waste (MSW) continues to be
a high priority issue for many communities as we near the turn of the century.
Increasingly, the concept of integrated solid waste management—source
reduction of wastes before they enter the waste stream, recovery of generated
wastes for recycling and composting, and environmentally sound disposal
through combustion facilities and landfills thai: meet current standards—is being
used by communities as they plan for the future.
There are many regional variations that require each community to
examine its own waste management needs. Such factors as local and regional
availability of suitable landfill space, proximity of markets for recovered
materials, population density, commercial and industrial activity, and climatic
and groundwater variations all may motivate each community to make its own
plans.
Identifying the components of the waste stream is an important step
toward addressing the issues associated with the generation and management of
municipal solid wastes. MSW characterizations, which analyze the quantity and
composition of the municipal solid waste stream, involve estimating how much
MSW is generated, recycled, combusted, and disposed of in landfills. By
determining the makeup of the waste stream, waste characterizations also
provide valuable data for setting waste management goals, tracking progress
toward those goals, and supporting planning at the national, state, and local
levels. For example, waste characterizations can be used to highlight
opportunities for source reduction and recycling and provide information on
any special management issues that should be considered.
Readers should note that this report characterizes the municipal solid
waste stream of the nation as a whole. Local and regional variations are not
addressed, but suggestions for use of the information in this report by local
planners are included in Chapter 1.
FEATURES OF THIS REPORT
This report is the most recent in a series of reports released by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to characterize MSW in the United
States. It characterizes the national waste stream based on data through 1993 and
includes:
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• Information on MSW generation from 1960 to 1993
• Information on MSW management—recovery for recycling and
composting, combustion, and landfilling—from 1960 to 1993
• A discussion of the role of source reduction in MSW management
• Information on the relationship of MSW generation to population and
economic activity
• Information characterizing MSW by volume as well as by weight
• Projections for MSW generation to the year 2000
• Projections for MSW combustion through 2000
• Projections (presented in three recovery scenarios) for materials
recovery for recycling and composting through 2000.
DEFINITIONS
Municipal solid waste includes wastes such as durable goods, nondurable goods, containers
and packaging, food scraps, yard trimmings, and miscellaneous inorganic wastes from
residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial sources. Examples of waste from these
categories include appliances, automobile tires, newspapers, clothing, boxes, disposable
tableware, office and classroom paper, wood pallets, and cafeteria wastes. MSW does not
include wastes from other sources, such as construction and demolition wastes, automobile
bodies, municipal sludges, combustion ash, and industrial process wastes that might also be
disposed in municipal waste landfills or incinerators.
Source reduction activities reduce the amount or toxicity of wastes before they enter the
municipal solid waste management system (see Generation). Reuse of products such as
refillable glass bottles or refurbished wood pallets is counted as source reduction, not
recovery for recycling.
Generation refers to the amount (weight, volume, or percentage of the overall waste
stream) of materials and products as they enter the waste stream and before materials
recovery, composting, or combustion takes place.
Recovery of materials includes materials or yard trimmings removed from the waste stream
for the purpose of recycling or composting. Recovery for recycling as defined for this report
includes purchases of postconsumer recovered materials plus exports of the materials.
Recovery of yard trimmings includes those materials received at a composting facility. For
some materials, recovery for uses such as highway construction or insulation is counted as
recovery along with materials used in remanufacturing processes.
Combustion includes combustion of mixed MSW, fuel prepared from MSW, or a separated
component of MSW (such as rubber tires), with or without energy recovery.
Discards include the municipal solid waste remaining after recovery for recycling and
composting. These discards are usually combusted or disposed of in landfills, although some
MSW is littered, stored, or disposed on site, particularly in rural areas.
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By presenting three possible scenarios for recovery in the year 2000, this
report illustrates how various recovery rates (25,30, and 35 percent) could be
achieved. States and local communities can set their own goals and recovery
scenarios depending upon their local situations.
METHODOLOGY
There are two primary methods for conducting a waste characterization
study. The first is a source-specific approach in which the individual components
of the waste stream are sampled, sorted, and weighed. Although this method is
useful for defining a local waste stream, extrapolating from a limited number of
studies can produce a skewed or misleading picture if used for a nationwide
characterization of waste. Any errors in the sample or atypical circumstances
encountered during sampling would be greatly magnified when expanded to
represent the nation's entire waste stream.
The second method, used in this report to estimate the waste stream on a
nationwide basis, is called the "material flows methodology." EPA's Office of
Solid Waste and its predecessors in the Public Health Service sponsored work in
the 1960s and early 1970s to develop the material flows methodology. This
methodology is based on production data (by weight) for the materials and
products in the waste stream, with adjustments for imports, exports, and product
lifetimes.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS
This report demonstrates that the generation of municipal solid waste
continues to increase steadily, both in overall tonnage and in pounds per capita.
There is some evidence that source reduction measures, particularly efforts to
keep yard trimmings out of the waste management system, are beginning to
have an effect. Increasing recovery of materials in MSW for recycling and
composting is leading to a decline in the percentage of MSW being sent to
disposal facilities. Major findings include the following:
• In 1993,207 million tons, or 4.4 pounds per person per day, of MSW
were generated. After materials recovery for recycling and composting,
discards were 3.4 pounds per person per day. Virtually all of these
discards were combusted or sent to landfills.
• For the first time, EPA projects that the per capita generation rate will
decrease by the year 2000 to 4.3 pounds per person per day. These
projections are based in part on source reduction efforts, especially
actions to divert yard trimmings from the solid waste management
system through backyard composting and leaving grass clippings on
lawns. States that include more than half of the U.S. population
already have regulations leading to these actions. Other source
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reduction activities, e.g., reduced packaging, are also contributing to
this decrease.
• Even with significant source reduction efforts, generation of MSW is
projected to increase to 218 million tons in 2000. However, discards to
combustion facilities or landfills are projected to decline from 162
million tons in 1993 to 152 million tons in 2000 assuming a 30 percent
recovery rate for recycling and composting is achieved.
• Recovery of materials for recycling and composting was estimated
to be 22 percent of MSW generated in 1993, up from 17 percent in
1990, continuing the impressive growth of recent years. Combustion
facilities managed 16 percent of total generation, and the remaining
62 percent of the municipal solid waste stream was sent to landfills
or otherwise disposed.
• Between 1990 and 1993, recovery of materials for recycling and
composting increased from 38 million tons to 45 million tons, an
increase of 18 percent. Recovery of paper and paperboard accounted
for over half of this increased tonnage. Yard trimmings for
composting contributed the next largest increase in tonnage
recovered.
• The percentage of MSW discards continues to decline due to increased
levels of recovery for recycling and composting. In 1985,83 percent of
MSW was landfilled compared to 62 percent landfilled in 1993. Even
with this reduction, landfilling continues to be the single most
predominant waste management method into the year 2000.
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IN 1993
Materials in MSW
In 1993, generation of municipal solid waste totaled 207 million tons. A
breakdown by weight of the materials generated in MSW in 1993 is shown in
Figure ES-1 and Table ES-1. Paper and paperboard products are the largest
component of municipal solid waste by weight (38 percent of generation) and
yard trimmings are the second largest component (16 percent of generation). Five
of the remaining materials in MSW—glass, metals, plastics, wood and food
wastes—range between 6 and 9 percent each by weight of total MSW generated.
Other materials in MSW include rubber and leather, textiles, and small amounts
of miscellaneous wastes, which each made up approximately 3 percent of MSW
in 1993.
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Figure ES-1. Materials generated In MSW by weight, 1993
(Total weight • 206.9 million tons)
Paper & paperboard 37.6%
77.8 million tons
Glass 6.6%
13.7 million tons
Metals 8.3%
17.1 million tons
Plastics 9.3%
19.3 million tons
Wood 6.6%
13.7 million tons
Yard trimmings 15.9%
32.8 million tons
Food 6.7%
13.8 million tons
Other 9.0%
18.7 million tons
Table ES-1
GENERATION AND RECOVERY OF MATERIALS IN MSW, 1993
(In millions of tons and percent of generation of each material)
Paper and paperboard
Glass
Metals
Ferrous metals
Aluminum
Other nonferrous metals
Total metals
Plastics
Rubber and Leather
Textiles
Wood
Other materials
Total Materials in Products
Other Wastes
Food Wastes
Yard Trimmings
Miscellaneous Inorganic Wastes
Total Other Wastes
TOTAL MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Weight
Generated
77.8
13.7
12.9
3.0
1.2
17.1
19.3
6.2
6.1:
13.7
3.3
157.3
13.8
32.8
3.1
49.7
206.9
Weight
Recovered
26.5
3.0
3.4
1.1
0.8
5.2
0.7
0.4
0.7
1.3
0.7
38.5
Neg.
6.5
Neg.
6.5
45.0
Percent of
Generation
34.0%
22.0%
26.1%
35.4%
62.9%
30.4%
3.5%
5.9%
11.7%
9.6%
22.1%
. 24.5%
Neg.
19.8%
Neg.
13.1%
21.7%
Includes wastes from residential, commercial, and institutional sources.
Neg. = Less than 50,000 tons or 0.05 percent.
Numbers in this table have been rounded to the first decimal place.
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Most of the materials in MSW have some level of recovery for recycling
or composting. This is illustrated for 1993 in Table ES-1. Since each material
category (except for food wastes and. yard trimmings) is made up of many
different products, some of which may not be recovered at all, the overall
recovery rate for any particular material will be lower than recovery'rates for
some products within the materials category.
The highest recovery rate shown in Table ES-1 is that for nonferrous
metals other than aluminum (63 percent of generation). This is because the lead
in lead-acid batteries is recovered at very high rates. Aluminum is recovered at
approximately 35 percent of generation overall, even though aluminum cans are
recovered at rates above 60 percent. Likewise, the overall recovery rate for paper
and paperboard is 34 percent, even though corrugated containers are recovered at
rates above 50 percent.
Products in MSW
The many products in MSW are grouped into three main categories:
durable goods (for example, appliances), nondurable goods (for example,
newspapers), and containers and packaging (Figure ES-2). The materials in MSW
are generally made up of products from each category. There are exceptions,
however. The durable goods category contains no paper and paperboard. The
nondurable goods category includes only small amounts of metals and
essentially no glass or wood. The containers and packaging category includes
only very small amounts of rubber, leather, and textiles.
Figure ES-2. Products generated In MSW by weight, 1993
(Total weight = 206.9 million tons)
Nondurable goods 26.5%
54.8 million tons
Durable goods 15.4%
31.9 million tons
Containers & packaging 34.1%
70.6 million tons
Food, other 8.2%
16.9 million tons
Yard trimmings 15.9%
32.8 million tons
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Generation and recovery of the product categories in MSW, broken down
by materials within each category, are shown in Table ES-2. Overall, the materials
in durable goods were recovered at a rate of approximately 13 percent in 1993.
The non-ferrous metals were recovered at a rate of approximately 63 percent
because of the high rate of recovery of lead-acid batteries. (The recovery of these
batteries also accounts for the high rate of recovery of "other materials," which
are the non-lead components of the batteries.) Considerable amounts of ferrous
metals are recovered from appliances in the durables category, and some rubber
is recovered from tires.
Overall recovery in the nondurable goods category was estimated to be 21
percent in 1993. In this category, large amounts of newspapers, office papers, and
some other paper products are recovered.
Recovery from the containers and packaging category is the highest of
these categories—33 percent of generation. Aluminum was recovered at over 53
percent in 1993 (mostly aluminum beverage cans), while steel (mostly cans) was
recovered at over 46 percent. Paper and paperboard recovery was estimated at 44
percent overall in 1993, with corrugated containers accounting for most of that
tonnage. Glass containers were estimated to have been recovered at 25 percent
overall, while wood packaging (mostly pallets) was estimated to have been
recovered at 14 percent of generation. Plastic containers and packaging were
estimated to have been recovered at an overall rate of 6 percent in 1993, with
most of the recovered plastics being soft drink bottles and milk and water bottles.
Management of MSW
The breakdown of how much waste went to recycling and composting,
combustion, and landfills in 1993 is shown in Figure ES-3. Recovery of materials
for recycling and composting was estimated to have been 45 million tons, or 22
percent of generation, in 1993. Combustion of MSW (nearly all with energy
recovery) was estimated to have been 33 million tons, or 16 percent of
generation, in 1993. The remainder, 129 million tons of MSW (62 percent of
generation), was assumed to have been landfilled (although small amounts may
have been littered or self-disposed, e.g., on farms).
Recovery for recycling remained at relatively low levels—9 to 10 percent
of MSW generation—well into the decade of the 1980s. In the late 1980s, people
nationwide realized that new approaches to solid waste management were
needed, and recovery for recycling and composting began to increase. Recovery
rates have increased from 13 percent in 1988 to 17 percent in 1990 to 22 percent in
1993 (Figure ES-4).
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Table ES-2
GENERATION AND RECOVERY OF PRODUCTS IN MSW
BY MATERIAL, 1993
(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
TOTAL MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Weight
Generated
10.0
0.8
1.2
12.0
1.4
6.3
5.2
4.2
1.8
1.0
31.9
42.4
4.6
1.0
4.3
2.5
54.8
3.0
2.0
5.0
12.2
35.4
8.4
9.5
0.1
70.6
13.8
32.8
3.1
49.7
206.9
Weight
Recovered
2.0
Neg.
0.8
2.8
Neg.
0.2
0.4
Neg.
Neg.
0.7
4.1
10.8
Neg.
Neg.
0.7
Neg.
11.5
1.4
1.1
2.4
3.0
15.7
0.5
1.3
Neg.
22.9
Neg.
6.5
Neg.
6.5
45.0
Percent of
Generation
20.0%
Neg.
62.9%
23.1%
Neg.
2.4%
7.1%
Neg.
1.7%
76.0%
12.7%
25.4%
<1%
Neg.
16.2%
Neg.
21.0%
46.3%
53.3%
49.1%
24.6%
44.2%
6.1%
13.9%
Neg.
32.5%
Neg.
19.8%
Neg.
13.1%
21.7%
Includes wastes from residential, commercial, and institutional sources.
Neg. = less than 50,000 tons or 0.05 percent.
Numbers in this table have been rounded to the first decimal place.
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Figure ES-3. Management of MSW in U.S., 1993
(Total weight = 206.9 million tons)
Landfill, other, 62.4%
129.0 million tons
Recovery for recycling
and composting, 21.7%
45.0 million tons
Combustion, 15.9%
32.9 million tons
For this report, EPA looked at a range of recovery scenarios from 25
percent to 35 percent nationwide for the year 2000. A mid-range projected
scenario of 30 percent in the year 2000 was used to illustrate the effects of
recovery on future municipal solid waste management. To achieve this level of
recovery, it was assumed that local, state, and federal agencies will continue to
emphasize recycling and composting as a priority; that industries will continue
30 • •
25 ••
20.-
15..
10
5 4-
1980
Figure ES-4. Recovery for recycling and composting
(in percent of total MSW generation)
• Historical & Projected
IB
• •
1993 recovery = 22%
2000 recovery = 30% scenario
1985
1990
1995
2000
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to make the necessary investments in recovery and utilization of materials; that
state and local governments will continue to expand programs designed to keep
yard trimmings out of landfills; and that most U.S. citizens will have access to
some sort of recovery program by the year 2000.
Source Reduction
Source reduction activities include the design, manufacture, purchase, or
use of materials (such as products and packaging) to reduce the amount or
toxicity of trash before it reaches the point of generation and enters the
municipal solid waste management system. Source reduction activities include:
• Designing products or packages so as to reduce the quantity of
materials or the toxicity of the materials used
• Reducing amounts of products or packages used through
modification of current practices
• Reusing products or packages already manufactured
• Lengthening the life of products to postpone disposal
• Managing non-product organic wastes (food wastes, yard
trimmings) through on-site composting or other alternatives to
disposal.
While most source reduction activities were not quantified in this report,
calculations were made showing that yard trimmings generation could be
reduced 30 percent or more by the year 2000 if current and planned state and local
programs to reduce disposal of yard trimmings are implemented.
MSW Volume Estimates
Although solid waste is usually characterized by weight, information
about volume is important for such issues as determining how quickly landfill
capacity is being filled and identifying the rates at which the volumes of various
materials in the waste stream are changing.
Volume estimates of solid waste are, however, far more difficult to make
than weight estimates. A pound of paper is a pound of paper whether it is in flat
sheets, crumpled into a wad, or compacted into a bale, but the volume occupied
in each case will be very different. The estimates presented here represent the
relative volume of materials as .they would typically be found if compacted
individually in a landfill (a significant amount of compaction occurs in a
landfill). These estimates are based largely on empirical data that are then used to
estimate density factors (pounds per cubic yard) for components of solid waste
10
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under simulated landfill conditions, with corroboration from actual landfill
studies. It should be noted, however, that individual component density
measurements serve only to compare component volume requirements, one to
another. The component measurements should not be used to estimate landfill
densities of mixed municipal solid waste.
Figure ES-5 shows the materials in MSW by volume as a percentage of
total MSW discards (after recovery) in 1993. The paper and paperboard category
ranks first in volume of MSW discarded (30 percent). Plastics rank second in
volume, at 24 percent of the total, and yard trimmings are third, at 8 percent.
Paper and plastics combined accounted for over one-half of the volume of MSW
discarded in 1993.
Figure ES-5. Landfill volume of materials in MSW, 1993
(in percent of total)
Yard trimmings 8.1%
Ferrous metals 7.9%
Plastics
23.9%
Paper&
paperboard
30.2%
Others 1.4%
Rubber & leather 7.8%
Wood 6.8%
Textiles 6.2%
Food wastes 3.2%
Aluminum 2.4%
Glass 2.2%
Figure ES-6 shows the product categories that made up MSW by volume
of total discards in 1993. Containers and packaging were 32 percent of discards
after recovery for recycling and composting, while nondurable goods were 29
percent of discards. Durable goods were an estimated 27 percent of MSW discards
volume, while other materials (mostly yard trimmings and food wastes) were
approximately 12 percent of discards by volume.
11
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Figure ES-6. Landfill volume of products in MSW, 1993
(in percent of total)
Other 11.8%
Containers &
packaging
32.1%
Durables
27.0%
Nondurables
29.1%
ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON MSW
Per Capita Generation of MSW
Generation of MSW by individuals is an important parameter used by
solid waste management planners. During the period 1960 to 1993, per capita
generation of MSW increased steadily from 2.7 pounds per person per day to 4.4
pounds per person per day. During the period 1993 to 2000, per capita generation
of products (including packaging) is projected to continue to increase if present
trends continue. The per capita generation of yard trimmings is, however,
projected to decline if current source reduction activities at the state and local
levels continue. Overall, this could mean a decline in per capita generation from
4.4 pounds per person per day in 1993 to 4.3 pounds per person per day in 2000.
Residential and Commercial Sources of MSW
The sources of MSW as characterized in this report include both
residential and commercial locations (commercial locations include institutions
such as schools and some industrial sites where packaging is generated). The
source where the MSW is generated is highly relevant to management
techniques, including collection for disposal and collection for purposes of
recycling or composting.
For this report, estimates of residential and commercial generation of
MSW were made. Residential wastes (including wastes from multi-family
12
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dwellings) are estimated to be 55 to 65 percent of total generation, with
commercial wastes ranging between 35 and 45 percent of generation. Local and
regional factors such as climate and level of commercial activity contribute to the
variations.
Factors Affecting MSW Generation
For the first time in this series of reports, the correlation of historical
MSW generation with factors such as population and economic activity was
analyzed. Increasing population clearly contributes to increasing generation of
MSW. In statistical language, the correlation coefficient (r) between MSW
generation and population from 1960 to 1993 is 0.99, a high degree of correlation.
Population is not the only factor leading to increased MSW generation;
historical trends show that MSW generation has been increasing more rapidly
than population (Figure ES-7). While average annual population growth over
the 33-year period was 1.1 percent, average annual growth of MSW generation
was 2.7 percent. In other words, per capita generation of MSW increased over the
historical period.
Many reasons have been suggested for the growth in per capita MSW
generation, such as changes in lifestyles, more two-income wage earners in
households, smaller households, and changes in the workplace (especially in
offices). It seems clear that many of these reasons are related to changes in the
level of economic activity, which has been generally upward except for
300-
250-
200-
1
J 150-
100-
50.
0 -
Figure ES-7. U.S. population and municipal
solid waste generation, 1960 to 1993
"Population"""""
ave. annual growth = 1 .1%
™_^o_j3-°-Q"lD'^ MSW generation
^_J^_t^"/vQJ^ a«e, annual growth - 2.7%
r_Q4j=o*u> __
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1993
13
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occasional recessions. A plot of per capita MSW generation and economic
activity as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (in 1987 dollars per capita)
is shown in Figure ES-8. During the 33-year period, MSW per capita generation
increased 65 percent, while GDP on a per capita basis increased 82 percent. The
correlation coefficient (r) between per capita MSW generation and pef capita GDP
is 0.99, a strong positive correlation.
Figure ES-8. MSW generation and Gross Domestic
••
5.00-
4.00-
t
1 3.00-
a 2.00-
2
1.00-
n rvn
*^&£&
• *^tt&£**^^
&&ff*P*^
Product, 1960 to 1993
. A A «, if**^mL^m ^m • • "^"^
^rgUM^^f-**1^
•
r = 0.99
• 1 1 . —
r 20,000
•15,000
0
o
.10,000 §
i
.5,000
.0
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1993
On the basis of this preliminary analysis, it appears that population growth
accounts for a portion of the increase in MSW generation, but that economic
activity (and perhaps other factors such as household size) contributes to the
increase over and above population growth.
TRENDS IN MSW GENERATION, RECOVERY, AND DISCARDS
Generation of municipal solid waste grew steadily between 1960 and 1993,
from 88 million to 207 million tons per year. Per capita generation of MSW
increased from 2.7 pounds per person per day in 1960 to 4.4 pounds per person
per day in 1993. Projected per capita MSW generation in the year 2000 is 4.3
pounds per person per day (218 million tons). The projected decline in per capita
generation rates is based in large part on a projected decrease in the tonnage of
yard trimmings entering the municipal solid waste management system.
Actually achieving the projected decline hinges on continued emphasis on
source reduction of yard trimmings in particular, but also on other products in
MSW.
14
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Recovery for recycling and composting has increased from approximately
7 percent of MSW generated in 1960 to 22 percent by 1993, with much of the
growth happening over the past five or six years. Projected scenarios for recovery
are between 25 and 35 percent in 2000. To achieve these recovery rates, some
products will have to be recovered at rates of 50 percent or more, and there will
have to be substantial composting of yard trimmings.
Combustors handled an estimated 30 percent of MSW generated in 1960,
mostly through incinerators with no energy recovery and no air pollution
controls. In the 1960s and 1970s, combustion dropped steadily as the old
incinerators were closed, reaching a low of less than 10 percent of MSW
generated by 1980, then increasing to approximately 16 percent of MSW in 1990.
Between 1990 and 1993, combustion remained around 16 percent of MSW
generation. All major new facilities have energy recovery and are designed to
meet air pollution standards.
The report projects that tonnage of MSW combusted will increase only
slightly by the year 2000—to 34 million tons, or less than 16 percent of
generation. Estimates of combustion projections are based on an assumption that
the facilities will operate at 85 percent of capacity.
Landfill use fluctuates with changes in the use of alternative solid waste
management methods. For example, when the use of combustion for MSW
management declined and recovery rates were low, the MSW percentage sent to
landfills increased (Figure ES-9). Alternatively, when recovery and combustion
of MSW increased, the percentage of MSW discarded to landfills declined. In
1960, approximately 62 percent of MSW was sent to landfills. This increased to 81
percent in 1980, then decreased to an estimated 62 percent in 1993 (the same
percentage but much more tonnage than in 1960) due to changing trends in
municipal solid waste management.
Recovery for recycling and composting at the 30 percent scenario in 2000
combined with projected source reduction efforts would reduce total national
discards of MSW after recovery to 152 million tons compared to the 1993 level of
162 million tons. Adding projected combustion levels to recovery for recycling
and composting would lower landfill tonnage to 118 million tons in 2000
compared to 129 million tons in 1993.
As we approach the twenty-first century, integrated waste management
with a focus on source reduction, recycling, and composting is clearly the
solution to our growing waste management needs. Through source reduction,
recycling, and composting, we can reduce generation and increase recovery, and,
in turn, reduce the quantities of waste that must be managed by combustors and
landfills.
15
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Figure ES-9. Municipal solid waste management, 1960 to 2000
240
200
160
120
1 T
Recovery for composling
40
I Recovery for recycling
tfl??t""f''%v!&7
""'J>/4''« 'it,-.
1960
1965
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
16
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v>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(5305)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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