United States
Environmental Protectk
Agency
WHAT CAN YOU
TODAY
S M T W T F S
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RESOURCE CONSERVATION
CHALLENGE
Municipal Solid Waste Generation,
Recycling, and Disposal in the
United States:
Facts and Figures for 2003
The Environmental Protection Agency has collected and reported data on the
generation and disposal of waste in the United States for more than 30 years.
We use the information to measure the success of municipal solid waste (MSW)
reduction and recycling programs across the country. The data also shows us
where we, as a nation, need to make environmental improvements. Because we
only report this information every two years, these facts and figures are current
through calendar year 2003. Both 2002 and 2003 data are reported here for the
first time.
TRENDS IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Municipal solid waste (MSW), usually
the things we commonly throw away.
package wrapping, food scraps,
and grass clippings to our old
sofas, computers, and refrigerators.
It does not contain industrial, haz-
ardous, or construction waste.
Despite sustained improvements in
waste reduction, household waste
remains a constant concern
because trends indicate that the
overall tonnage we create continues
to increase.
Since 1980, the total annual
generation of MSW has increased
more than 50 percent to its 2003
level of just over 236 million tons
per year—topping 2002 by more
than a half-million tons. Excluding
known as trash or garbage, is made up of
This household type of waste ranges from our
Recycling and Composting Programs
for MSW
The latest recycling and composting figures
we have are for 2002, In that year,
• Around 8,875 curbside recycling
programs existed nationwide, down
somewhat from 3,700 in 2001.
• About 3,227 community composting
programs were operational, a slight
decrease from 2001 figures.
The decreases in recycling and composting
programs may be the result of some consol-
idation of curbside recycling programs and
fewer states reporting composting data.
Recycled/Recyclable. Printed with vegetable oil based inks on 100% (minimum 50% postconsumer) recycled paper.
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composting, MSW recovered for recycling
rose to more than 55 million tons, about a
3-percent increase over 2002. Composting
recovered almost 17 million tons. The total
MSW recovery rate, which includes both
recycling and composting, was just over 30
percent in 2003 (see Tables 1, 2; Figures 1, 2).
Our 2003 individual MSW generation rate
has remained relatively constant since the
1990s at 4.5 pounds per person per day.
Our recycling rate was just over 1 pound per
person per day. After accounting for what we
recycled, we discarded about 3 pounds per
person per day in 2003 (Table 3).
In 2003, recycling and composting diverted
more than 72 million tons from disposal.
Paper and paperboard recovery rose to
40 million tons. Metals were recycled at
36 percent, and electronic products had
about a 10 percent recycling rate. Consider
the significance of these figures today
compared to 1980 when we only recycled
10 percent of all our MSW and disposed of
the rest. Clearly, we're recycling more and
discarding less.
After accounting for the MSW that was recovered by recycling and composting, we measure
waste disposed of in combustors and landfills (see Figures 5, 6). In 2003, around 33 million
tons (14 percent) were combusted, and about 131 million tons (55 percent) went to landfills
or were otherwise disposed of.
Disposing of MSW
Figure 5 on page 9 shows that the num-
ber of municipal solid waste landfills has
steadily declined over the years. On the
other hand, average landfill size has
increased. At the national level, landfill
capacity appears to be sufficient, although
it may not be in some regional areas.
• The percentage of MSW going to
landfills continues to decrease (see
Tables 6,7). Since 1990, MSW being
sent to landfills has decreased by 9
million tons, from 14D million tons to
131 million tons in 2QQ3. The tonnage
landfilled results from an interaction
among generation, recycling, and
combustion, which do not necessarily
rise and fall at the same time.
• In 2DD3, the net per capita discard rate
(after recycling and composting) was
3.D9 pounds per person per day, down
from 3.14 pounds per person per day in
2DD2 (see Table 3).
Table 1
Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, and Discards of Municipal Solid Waste, I960 - 2DD3
(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
1995
213.7
46.2
9.6
55.8
158.0
2000
234.0
52.4
16.5
68.9
165.1
2001
231.2
52.8
16.6
69.3
161.9
2002
235.5
53.8
16.7
70.5
165.0
2003
236.2
55.4
16.9
72.3
163.9
'Composting of yard trimmings, food scraps, and other MSW organic material.
Does not include backyard composting.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
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Table 2
Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, and Discards of Municipal Solid Waste, I960 - 2DD3
(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%
1995
100.0%
21.6%
4.5%
26.1%
73.9%
2000
100.0%
22.4%
7.0%
29.4%
70.6%
2001
100.0%
22.8%
7.2%
30.0%
70.0%
2002
100.0%
22.8%
7.1%
29.9%
70.1%
2003
100.0%
23.5%
7.1%
30.6%
69.4%
'Composting of yard trimmings, food scraps, and other MSW organic material.
Does not include backyard composting.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
Figure 1
MSW Generation Rates from I960 to 2DD3
250
10.00
1960
1970 1980 1990 1995 2000 2001 2002
^ Total MSW generation | Per capita generation
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Figure 2
MSW Recycling Rates from 1960 to 2DD3
50.0%
1960 1970 1980 1990 1995
^ Total MSW recycling
2000 2001 2002
Percent recycling
10.0% <5
Q_
0.0%
2003
Table 3
Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, and Discards of Municipal Solid Waste, I960 - 2DD3
(in pounds per person per day)
Pounds per person per day
Generation
Recovery for recycling
Recovery for composting*
Total Materials Recovery
Discards after Recovery
Population (millions)
1960
2.68
0.17
Neg.
0.17
2.51
179.979
1970
3.25
0.22
Neg.
0.22
3.03
203.984
1980
3.66
0.35
Neg.
0.35
3.31
227.255
1990
4.50
0.64
0.09
0.73
3.77
249.907
1995
4.45
0.96
0.20
1.16
3.29
263.168
2000
4.56
1.02
0.32
1.34
3.22
281.422
2001
4.45
1.02
0.32
1.34
3.11
284.797
2002
4.48
1.02
0.32
1.34
3.14
287.974
2003
4.45
1.04
0.32
1.36
3.09
290.810
'Composting of yard trimmings, food scraps, and other MSW organic material.
Does not include backyard composting.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
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MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IN 2003
Sources of MSW include both residential and commercial locations. We estimated residential
waste (including waste from apartment houses) to be 55 to 65 percent of total MSW generation.
Waste from schools and commercial locations, such as hospitals and businesses, constitutes
35 to 45 percent of MSW. Local and regional factors, such as climate and level of commercial
activity, contribute to the variations.
We analyze MSW two ways. The first is by material (paper and paperboard, yard trimmings,
food scraps, plastics, metals, glass, wood, rubber, leather and textiles, and other); the second
is by major product categories. Product categories include durable goods (like furniture and
appliances), nondurable goods (products meant for disposal), containers and packaging (like
milk cartons, cardboard boxes, plastic wrap) and other wastes (like food scraps and yard
trimmings).
Materials in MSW
Organic materials continue to be the largest components of MSW: Paper and paperboard prod-
ucts account for 35 percent of the waste stream, with yard trimmings and food scraps together
accounting for about 24 percent. Plastics comprise 11 percent; metals make up 8 percent; and
rubber, leather and textiles account for about 7 percent. Wood follows at 6 percent, and glass at
5 percent. Finally, other miscellaneous wastes made up approximately 3 percent of the MSW
generated in 2003. A breakdown, by weight, of the MSW materials generated in 2003 is provid-
ed in Figure 3.
Figure 3
2DD3 Total MSW Generation - 23G Million Tons (Before Recycling)
Yard trimmings 12.1%
Wood 5.8%
Food scraps 11.7%
Other 3.4%
Rubber, leather, and
textiles 7.4%
Plastics 11.3%
Paper 35.2%
Metals 8.0%
Glass 5.3%
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Some material from each MSW category was recycled or composted in 2003. The highest
recovery rates were achieved in yard trimmings, paper products, and metal products. About
56 percent—or about 16 million tons—of yard trimmings were composted, representing
almost a four-fold increase over 1990. About 48 percent of paper and paperboard were
recycled. Nearly 7 million tons, or about 36 percent, of metals were recycled. Recycling rates
(recovery as a percent of generation) for all material categories in 2003 are listed in Table 4.
Table 4
Generation and Recovery of Materials in MSW, 2DD3
(in millons of tons and percent of generation of each material)
Paper and paperboard
Glass
Weight
Generated
83.1
12.5
Weight
Recovered
40.0
2.35
Recovery as a
Percent of
Generation
48.1%
18.8%
Metals
Steel
Aluminum
Other nonferrous metals*
14.0
3.23
1.59
Total metals 18.8
Plastics 26.7
Rubber and leather 6.82
Textiles 10.6
Wood 13.6
Other materials 4.32
Total Materials in Products
176.4
5.09
0.69
1.06
6.84
1.39
1.10
1.52
1.28
0.98
55.4
36.4%
21.4%
66.7%
36.3%
5.2%
16.1%
14.4%
9.4%
22.7%
31.4%
Other wastes
Food, other" 27.6
Yard trimmings 28.6
Miscellaneous inorganic wastes 3.62
Total Other Wastes
TOTAL MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
59.8
236.2
0.75
16.1
Neg.
16.9
72.3
2.7%
56.3%
Neg.
28.2%
30.6%
Includes waste from residential, commercial, and institutional sources.
Includes lead from lead-acid batteries.
"Includes recovery of other MSW organics for composting.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
Neg. = Less than 5,000 tons or 0.05 percent.
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Products in MSW
The breakdown, by weight, of product categories generated in 2003 is shown in Figure 4.
Containers and packaging made up the largest portion of waste generated, about 75 million
tons. The second-largest portion of MSW was nondurable goods, comprising just over 26 per-
cent. Durable goods make up the third largest segment, accounting for almost 40 million tons.
Figure 4
Products Generated in MSW - 2DD3 (Total Weight = 23G million tons)
Food Scraps 11.7%
Containers and
Packaging 31.7%
Yard Trimmings 12.1%
Other Wastes 1.5%
Durable Goods 16.7%
Nondurable Goods 26.3%
The generation and recovery of the product categories in MSW in 2003 are shown in Table 5.
This table shows that recovery of containers and packaging was the highest of the three product
categories, recycling almost 39 percent of containers and packaging. Aluminum, steel, and paper
products were the most recycled materials by percentage in this category. Nearly 44 percent of
all aluminum beverage cans were recycled, while almost 61 percent of steel packaging (mostly
cans) was recovered. About 48 percent of paper and paperboard was recycled. This figure
includes corrugated containers that had a 71 percent recycling rate.
Around 22 percent of glass containers were recycled, while about 15 percent of wood
packaging—mostly wood pallets—was recovered for recycling. Nearly 9 percent of plastic
containers and packaging were recycled, which were mostly soft drink, milk, and water bottles.
Plastic milk bottles were the most recycled materials, accounting for roughly 32 percent.
Plastic soft drink bottles were recovered at a 25 percent rate.
Overall recovery of nondurable goods was 31 percent in 2003. Paper products, such as
newspapers and high-grade office papers were the most recycled materials. Newspapers alone
were recycled at a rate of about 82 percent. Around 56 percent of high-grade office papers
and 33 percent of magazines were recovered. About 32 percent of junk mail was recovered.
Slightly more than 18 percent of books, almost 16 percent of telephone directories, and nearly
13 percent of other commercial printing products accounted for additional recycled paper
materials in 2003.
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Table 5
Generation and Recovery of Products in MSW by Material, 2DD3
(in millons of tons and percent of generation of each product)
Weight
Generated
Weight
Recovered
Recovery
as a Percent of
Generation
Durable Goods
Aluminum 1.06
Other non-ferrous metals* 1.59
Total metals 13.8
Glass 1.78
Plastics 8.39
Rubber and leather 5.91
3.37
Neg.
4.43
Neg.
Wood 5.27
Textiles 3.03
Other materials 1.30
Total durable goods 39.5
30.2%
Neg.
66.7%
32.1%
Neg
3.9%
18.6%
Neg.
10.6%
75.4%
18.1%
Nondurable Goods
Paper and paperboard 44.3 18.1
Plastics 6.35
Rubber and leather 0.88
Textiles 7.37
Other materials 3.26
Total nondurable goods 62.1 19.3
40.8%
Neg.
Neg.
16.3%
Neg.
31.0%
Containers and Packaging
Steel 2.84
Aluminum 1.94
Total metals 4.78
Glass 10.7
Paper and paperboard 38.8
Plastics 11.9 1.06
Wood 8.36 1.28
Other materials 0.22 Neg.
Total containers and packaging 74.8 29.0
60.6%
35.6%
50.4%
22.0%
56.4%
8.9%
15.3%
Neg.
38.8%
Other wastes
Food, other" 27.6
Yard trimmings 28.6
Miscellaneous inorganic wastes 3.62
Total Other Wastes 59.8
TOTAL MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE 236.2
16.9
72.3
2.7%
56.3%
28.2%
30.6%
Includes waste from residential, commercial, and institutional sources.
Includes lead from lead-acid batteries.
Includes recovery of other MSW organics for composting.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
Neg. = Less than 5,000 tons or 0.05 percent.
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Clothing and other textile products are included in the nondurable goods category. These prod-
ucts were recovered for recycling or export at a rate of 16 percent.
Overall, approximately 18 percent of durable goods were recovered in 2003. Nonferrous metals
other than aluminum had one of the highest recovery rates, at nearly 67 percent, due to the high
rate of lead recovery from lead-acid batteries. Recovery of steel in all durable goods was 30 per-
cent, with high rates of recovery from appliances and other miscellaneous durable goods.
Lead-acid batteries were one of the most recovered products in 2003, with a recycling rate of
93 percent. Other products with particularly high recovery rates were steel from major appliances
(about 90 percent), corrugated boxes (about 71 percent), newspapers (about 82 percent), steel
cans (60 percent), and aluminum beverage cans (about 44 percent). Around 10 percent of
selected consumer electronics, including computers, TVs, stereos, cell phones and similar equip-
ment, were recycled.
The percent of rubber in tires that was recovered for recycling was almost 36 percent. Other tires
were retreaded and shredded rubber tires were also used as fuel, or burned for energy recovery.
Figure 5
Number of Landfills in the United States by Year.
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
7924
1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
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Figure 6
Management of MSW in the United States - 2DD3
Land Disposal 55.4%
Recovery 30.6%
Combustion 14.0%
Table 6
Generation, Materials Recovery, Combustion, and Discards of Municipal Solid Waste, I960 - 2DD3
(in millions of tons)
Millions of Tons
Total Generation
Total Materials Recovery
Combustion*
Discards to landfill, other disposal**
Total Discards after Recovery
1960
88.1
5.6
27.0
55.5
82.5
1970
121.1
8.0
25.1
87.9
113.0
1980
151.6
14.5
13.7
123.4
137.1
1990
205.2
33.2
31.9
140.1
172.0
1995
213.7
55.8
35.5
122.4
158.0
2000
234.0
68.9
33.7
131.4
165.1
2001
231.2
69.3
33.6
128.3
161.9
2002
235.5
70.5
33.4
131.7
165.0
2003
236.2
72.3
33.1
130.8
163.9
Includes combustion of MSW in mass burn or refuse-derived fuel form, and combustion with energy recovery of
source separated materials in MSW (e.g., wood pallets and tire-derived fuel).
'Discards after recovery minus combustion.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
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Table 7
Generation, Materials Recovery, Combustion, and Discards of Municipal Solid Waste, I960 - 2DD3
(in percent of total generation)
Millions of Tons
Total Generation
Total Materials Recovery
Combustion*
Discards to landfill, other
disposal**
Total Discards after
Recovery
1960
100.0%
6.4%
30.6%
63.0%
93.6%
1970
100.0%
6.6%
20.7%
72.6%
93.4%
1980
100.0%
9.6%
9.0%
81.4%
90.4%
1990
100.0%
16.2%
15.5%
68.3%
83.8%
1995
100.0%
26.1%
16.6%
57.3%
73.9%
2000
100.0%
29.4%
14.4%
56.2%
70.6%
2001
100.0%
30.0%
14.5%
55.5%
70.0%
2002
100.0%
29.9%
14.2%
55.9%
70.1%
2003
100.0%
30.6%
14.0%
55.4%
69.4%
Includes combustion of MSW in mass burn or refuse-derived fuel form, and combustion with energy recovery of
source separated materials in MSW (e.g., wood pallets and tire-derived fuel).
'Discards after recovery minus combustion.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
This report and previous reports in the same series are available on the Internet at
. Detailed data tables for 2003 and previous
years may be found at the same location. General information on municipal solid waste
is available on the Internet at .
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