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.

-------