United States Solid Waste and
Environmental Protection Emergency Response EPA/530-SW-90-017A
Agency (OS-305) February 1990
Office of Solid Waste
SEPA Environmental
Fact Sheet
PLASTICS: THE FACTS ABOUT
PRODUCTION, USE, AND DISPOSAL
FROM ERA'S REPORT TO CONGRESS ON
METHODS TO MANAGE AND CONTROL
PLASTIC WASTE
Discarded plastic products and packaging make up a
growing proportion of municipal solid waste. By the year 2000,
the amount of plastic we throw away will increase by 50 percent.
Current volume estimates for plastic waste range from 14 to 21
percent of the waste stream. By weight plastics contribute seven
percent, and less than one percent of plastic waste is currently
recycled. Additionally, some plastic items end up as litter that
poses ecological risk in the marine environment and aesthetic
and economic loss. Knowledge of the amounts, types, and uses
of plastics produced in the United States is necessary for the
evaluation of solutions.
The Major Plastics and Their Uses
The term "plastics" encompasses a wide variety of resins or polymers
with different characteristics and product uses. Nearly 60 billion
pounds of plastic were produced in the U.S. in 1988.
Five resins account for nearly 60 percent of all plastics used by
consumers. These are low-density polyethylene, used in garbage bags;
polyvinyl chloride, used in cooking oil bottles; high-density
polyethylene, used in milk jugs; polypropylene, used in car battery
cases; and polystyrene, used in disposable food containers. The resin
polyethylene terephthalate is produced in much smaller quantities, but
is familiar to consumers as the plastic used in soft drink bottles. One-
third of all plastics is used in packaging. Because packaging has a
short lifetime, it makes up a large part of the plastic waste stream.
Recyctod/Recydabte
Printed on papor that contains
at toast 60% racyctod flow
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Where Do Plastic Wastes Go?
About 80 percent of all municipal solid waste is landfilled, while 10 per-
cent is incinerated and 10 percent recycled. Because only a small per-
centage of plastics is recycled (less than one percent), virtually all plas-
tics are landfilled or incinerated.
Plastics make up about seven percent (by weight) of the municipal solid
waste stream and about 14 to 21 percent by volume.
Do Plastics Cause Disposal Problems?
The slow degradation of plastics is not a significant factor in landfill
capacity. Research has shown that other constituents (e.g., paper, wood,
food wastes) also degrade very slowly.
Plastics contain additives, however, such as colorants, stabilizers and
plasticizers, that may include toxic constituents such as lead and cad-
mium. Plastics contribute 28 percent of all cadmium in municipal solid
waste and approximately two percent of all lead. Data are too limited to
determine whether these and other plastic additives contribute signifi-
cantly to leachate produced in municipal solid waste landfills.
Plastics that contain heavy metal-based additives may also contribute to
the metal content of incinerator ash. EPA is conducting a study of sub-
stitutes for lead- and cadmium-based additives.
Because of its resistance to degradation, littered plastics debris can have
a particularly serious effect in the marine environment (see related fact
sheet, The Facts About Plastics in the Marine Environment). Enhancing
the degradation of plastics has also been offered as a solution. Data are
too limited, however, to determine their exact role (see related fact sheet,
The Facts on Degradable Plastics).
EPA believes source reduction and recycling will provide the most signifi-
cant results in reducing the impact of plastics in the environment (see
related fact sheets, Plastics: The Facts on Source Reduction and The Facts
on Recycling Plastics).
Where Can I Find Additional Information?
Call EPA's RCRA/Superfund Hotline for a free copy of the Executive
Summary of the Report to Congress on Methods to Manage and Control
Plastic Wastes (EPA/530-SW-89-051A). The toll-free number is 1-800-
424-9346, or TDD 1-800-553-7672 for the hearing impaired. In Wash-
ington D.C., the number is 382-3000 or TDD 475-9652. The Hotline is
open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST; Monday through Friday. Ask the
Hotline for information on ordering the full report.
Original Printing on Recycled Paper
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