V &EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OS-305) EPA/530-SW-91-024 July 1992 Office of Solid Waste Environmental Fact Sheet Recycling Municipal Solid Waste: Facts and Figures In the United States, we generate approximately 195 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) annually—an average of 4.3 pounds per person per day. To safely and effectively manage all of this trash, communities across the nation are using "integrated waste management systems," which combine source reduction, recycling, combustion, and landfilling to manage waste. Recycling, including composting, is a key component of many integrated waste management systems. EPA has challenged the nation to reduce and recycle at least 25 percent of MSW (in 1990, the nation's overall recycling rate was just over 17 percent). Many communities have far exceeded the national goal. This fact sheet describes nine of the primary components of the MSW stream, along with their generation rate, the percentage of the MSW stream they comprise, and their recovery rate. Recovery Rates for Major MSW Components 30% 20% 10%. Aluminum Automotive Glass Paper Plastics Steel Tires Used Yard 38.1% Batteries 19.9% 28.6% 2.2% 15.4% 11.6% o.l Waste 96.6% 67% 12% 'V "^ Printed on paper that contains at least 50 percent recycled fiber ------- Aluminum Generation: A total of 2.7 million tons of aluminum waste are generated annually. Aluminum containers and packaging, such as soft drink and beer cans, contribute 1.9 million tons. Percent: Aluminum makes up 1.4 percent of the total MSW generated annually. Recovery: Fifty-four percent of all aluminum containers and packaging are recycled. The overall recycling rate for aluminum is 38.1 percent. The markets for scrap aluminum are strong. Aluminum has a high market value, and aluminum cans supply a large percentage of the income for many municipal recycling programs. Almost all the aluminum collected is used to make new cans. Automotive Batteries Generation: About 1.5 million tons of used automotive (lead-acid) batteries are generated annually. In addition, many of the 2.5 billion household batteries purchased each year are discarded into the MSW stream. Percent: Batteries constitute less than 1 percent of the MSW stream. Recovery: About 96 percent of automotive batteries are recycled each year. Although automotive batteries constitute a small portion of the MSW stream, they contain metals that may be a concern when disposed of in landfills and combustors. All three components of automotive batteries are recyclable: the lead, the acid, and the plastic casing. Retailers often accept used automotive batteries that manufacturers recycle into new batteries. Glass Generation: Approximately 13.2 million tons of glass waste are generated annually. Food and beverage containers make up over 90 percent of this amount; the remaining 10 percent comes from products like cookware and glassware, home furnishings, and plate glass. Percent: Glass constitutes 6.7 percent of the MSW stream. Glass manufacturers typically use 30 percent crushed glass (known as "cullet") along with raw materials to make new glass. Cullet also can be used as an aggregate in road building. Paper and Paperboard Generation: Nearly 73.3 million tons of paper and paperboard waste are generated annually. Percent: Paper and paperboard constitute the largest portion of the MSW stream, representing 37.5 percent. Recovery: Paper has an overall recycling rate of 28.6 percent. About 48 percent of corrugated boxes, 42.5 percent of newspapers, 10.3 percent of books, 10.7 percent of magazines, and 26.5 percent of office papers are currently recycled. At times, market supply for some recovered paper products, such as newsprint, has exceeded the capacity of mills to use the materials. Markets for recycled paper products, however, are generally stable and expanding as more mills build new deinking facilities to process waste paper and as the demand for recycled paper products grows. Significant new capacity will be on line by 1994. Paper is recycled into paper products, paperboard products, and construction products. Plastics Generation: Over 16 million tons of plastic waste lllllll are generated annually. Percent: Plastics comprise 8.3 percent of the total MSW stream. Recovery: About 2.2 percent of all plastics arc- currently recycled, with plastic soda bottles being the most commonly recycled product (more than 31.5 percent are recovered). Plastics' share of the waste stream is growing by weight and volume. Most plastics that end up in the waste stream are from packaging and containers. Plastics recycling has increased dramatically over the past 2 years. Products made from recycled plastic include drainage pipes, toys, carpet, filler for pillows and sleeping bags, and cassette casings. While accounting for only about 8 percent of the MSW stream by weight, plastics make up over 20 percent of the total waste stream by volume. Recovery: About 22 percent of all glass beverage containers are recycled. Glass has an overall recovery rate of 19.9 percent. ------- Materials Generated in MSW by Weight, 1990 Total Weight = 195.7 Million Tons Paper, 37.5% 73.3 million tons Other, 14.6% 28.6 million tons (e.g., rubber, leather, textiles, wood, miscellaneous inorganic wastes) Yard Trimmings, 17.9% 35 million tons Aluminum, 1 4% 2 7 million tons Other Metals, 6 9% 13.5 million tons Glass, 6.7% 13 2 million tons Plastics, 8.3% 16 2 million tons Food, 6.7% 13.2 million tons Steel Used Oil Generation: About 12.3 million tons of steel waste are generated annually. Percent: Steel constitutes 6.3 percent of the MSW stream. Generation: Over 1.3 billion gallons of used oil are generated yearly. |?l Percent: Used oil makes up less than 1 percent of the MSW stream. Recovery: Overall, about 15.4 percent of steel in MSW is recycled. Over 22 percent of steel cans are recycled. Much greater amounts of steel are recovered; however, these steel products (e.g., junked cars, steel girders) are usually not considered MSW. Demand for steel scrap is growing as steelmakers are using more steel scrap to produce new steel products and less scrap is being produced within the steel making process. Some steel foundries are also beginning to use steel cans as a source of new raw materials. Recovery: Sixty-seven percent of all used oil is recovered (900 million gallons). Only 10 percent of the amount generated by people who change their own motor oil is returned to collection programs. If disposed of improperly (i.e., poured down sewage drains), used oil can contaminate soil, ground water, and surface water. Many state and local governments are taking steps to ensure the safe and effective management of used oil. In some communities, used motor oil is collected at service stations, corporate or municipal collection sites, or at the curbside. Tires Generation: Approximately 1.6 million tons of rubber tires (or 240 million scrap tires— about 1 tire per person) are generated annually. Percent: Tires make up about 1.8 percent of the MSW stream. Recovery: Annually, 11.6 percent of scrap tires are recycled. Scrap used tires are difficult to dispose of in landfills and waste combustors. An estimated 2 to 3 billion are currently stockpiled. These stockpiles can provide convenient habitats for rodents, serve as breeding grounds for mosquitos, and pose fire hazards. Of the scrap tires that are utilized, most are burned for energy. Scrap tires also are used for rubberized asphalt paving, molded rubber products, and athletic surfaces. Yard Trimmings Generation: Thirty-five million tons of yard trimmings (including grass, leaves, and tree and brush trimmings) are generated annually. Percent: Yard trimmings make up 17.9 percent of the MSW stream. H Recovery: Each year, 12 percent of the yard trimmings produced are composted. Yard trimmings can be transformed into compost for homeowners, farmers, public agencies, landscapers, and nurseries. Grass clippings can be beneficial when left on the lawn. ------- For More Information This fact sheet and the resources listed below are available to the public, free of charge, by calling the RCRA Hotline at (800) 424-9346, or, for the hearing impaired, TDD (800) 553-7672. Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1992 Update—Executive Summary Characterizing Municipal Solid Waste: Facts & Figures Decision-Makers Guide to Solid Waste Management (Vol. 1) The Facts About Plastics it! the Marine Environment Tlie Facts on Degradable Plastics The Facts on Recycling Plastics How to Set Up a Local Program to Recycle Used Oil Methods to Manage and Control Plastic Wastes—Executive Summary Plastics: The Facts About Production, Use, and Disposal Plastics: The Facts on Source Reduction Recycle: You Can Make a Ton of Difference Recycling Used Oil: 10 Steps to Change Your Oil Recycling Used Oil: For Service Stations and Other Vehicle-Service Facilities Recycling Used Oil: What Can You Do? Recycling Works.' State and Local Solutions to Solid Waste Management Problems EPA530-S-92-019 EPA530-F-92-019 EPA/530-SW-89-072 EPA/530-SW-90-017B EPA/530-SW-90-017D EPA/530-SW-90-017E EPA /530-SW-89-039 A EPA/530-SW-89-051A EP A / 530-SW-90-017 A EPA/530-SW-90-017C EPA530-F-92-003 EP A / 530-SW-89-039C EPA / 530-SW-89-039D EPA/530-SW-89-039B EPA/530-SW-89-014 The following EPA publications are available for a fee from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). Call (703) 487-4650. Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1992 Update Methods to Manage and Control Plastic Wastes Office Paper Recycling: An Implementation Manual Yard Waste Composting: A Study of Eight Programs PB92-207 166 PB90-163 106 PB90-199 431 PB90-163114 Source of data for this fact sheet: U.S. EPA's Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States- 1992 Update. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Data are from 1990. ------- |