United States
Environmental Protectk
Agency
WHAT CAN YOU
TODAY
S M T W T F S
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
CHALLENGE
Municipal Solid Waste Generation,
Recycling, and Disposal in the
United States:
Facts and Figures for 2005
The Environmental Protection Agency has collected and reported data on the gen-
eration and disposal of waste in the United States for more than 40 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 2005. Both 2004 and 2005 data are reported here for the first time.
TRENDS IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
Municipal solid waste (MSW), usually known as trash or garbage, is made up of
things we commonly throw away. This household type of waste ranges from our
package wrappings, food scraps, and grass clippings to our old sofas, computers,
and refrigerators. It does not contain industrial, hazardous, or construction waste.
Despite sustained improvements in
waste reduction, household waste
remains a constant concern because
trends indicate that the overall ton-
nage we create continues to increase.
Since 1980, the total annual genera-
tion of MSW has increased more than
60 percent to its 2005 level of nearly
246 million tons per year. Excluding
composting, MSW recovered through
recycling rose to more than 58 million
tons, 5.7 tons more than in 2004.
Composting recovered nearly 21 mil-
lion tons of waste. The total MSW
recovery rate, which includes both
Recycling and Composting
Programs for MSW
The latest recycling and composting fig-
ures we have are for 2005. In that year,
• Recycling and composting programs
recovered 32.1 percent of MSW in
2005-that was 79 million tons!
• Around 8,550 curbside recycling pro-
grams existed nationwide, slightly down
from 8,875 in 2002.
• About 3,470 community composting
programs were operational, an increase
from 3,227 in 2002.
Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper
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recycling and composting, was just over 32
percent in 2005.
Our individual MSW generation rate has
remained relatively constant since the 1990s at
4.5 pounds per person per day. Our recycling
Disposing of MSW
Figure 5 on page 9 shows that the num-
ber of MSW landfills has steadily declined
over the years. On the other hand, aver-
age 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 land-
fills continues to decrease. Since 1990,
MSW sent to landfills has decreased by
9 million tons, from 142.3 million tons
in 1990 (See Table 1) to 133.3 million
tons in 2DD5.
• In 2DD5, the net per capita discard rate
(after recycling, composting, and com-
bustion with energy recovery) was 2.46
pounds per person per day, similar to
2.49 pounds per person in 2DD3 (see
Table 3 on page 4).
Recovering Energy from Burning
MSW
• In 2DD5, approximately 33.4 million
tons or 13.6 percent of MSW was com-
busted with energy recovery.
• Combustion with energy recovery
increased nearly tenfold from I960 to
1990; since then MSW combustion with
energy recovery has increased slightly
rate was close to 1.5 pounds per person per
day. After accounting for what we recycled,
we combusted with energy recovery or dis-
carded about 3 pounds per person per day in
2005.
In 2005, recycling and composting diverted 79
million tons of waste. Paper and paperboard
recovery rose to 42 million tons. Metals were
recycled at a rate of nearly 37 percent, and 62
percent of yard trimmings were recovered.
Consider the significance of these figures
today compared to 1980 when we only recy-
cled 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. In 2005, more than 33 million tons (14 per-
cent) were combusted with energy recovery, and about 133 million tons (54 percent) went to
landfills or were otherwise disposed of.
Table 1
Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, Combustion with Energy Recovery, and Discards of Municipal
Solid Waste, I960 - 2DD5
(in millions of tons)
Activity
Generation
Recovery for recycling
Recovery for composting*
Total Materials Recovery
Combustion with Energy
Recovery!
Discards to Landfill, Other
Disposal!
1960
88.1
5.6
Neg.
5.6
0.0
82.5
1970
121.1
8.0
Neg.
8.0
0.4
112.7
1980
151.6
14.5
Neg.
14.5
2.7
134.4
1990
205.2
29.0
4.2
33.2
29.7
142.3
2000
237.6
52.7
16.5
69.1
33.7
134.8
2003
240.4
55.8
19.1
74.9
33.7
131.9
2004
247.3
52.7
20.5
77.7
34.1
135.5
2005
245.7
58.4
20.6
79.0
33.4
133.3
* 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.
f 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).
t Discards after recovery minus combustion with energy recovery.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
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Table 2
Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, Combustion with Energy Recovery, and Discards of Municipal
Solid Waste, 19GD - 2DD5
(in percent of total generation)
Activity
Generation
Recovery for recycling
Recovery for composting*
Total Materials Recovery
Combustion with Energy
Recovery!
Discards to Landfill, Other
Disposal^
1960
100.0%
6.4%
Neg.
6.4%
0.0%
93.6%
1970
100.0%
6.6%
Neg.
6.6%
0.3%
93.1%
1980
100.0%
9.6%
Neg.
9.6%
1 .8%
88.6%
1990
100.0%
14.2%
2.0%
16.2%
14.5%
69.3%
2000
100.0%
22.2%
6.9%
29.1%
14.2%
56.7%
2003
100.0%
23.2%
7.9%
31.1%
14.0%
54.9%
2004
100.0%
23.1%
8.3%
31 .4%
13.8%
54.8%
2005
100.0%
23.8%
8.4%
32.1%
13.6%
54.3%
* 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.
f 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).
t Discards after recovery minus combustion with energy recovery.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
Figure 1
MSW Generation Rates from I960 - 2DD5
300
•250
o
= 200
E
^ 150
cu
§ 100
S
50
10.00
8r\f\
.UU
6.00
4.00
tn
o
'co
o.
CO
2.00 if
0.00
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
^ Total MSW generation | Per capita generation
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Figure 2
MSW Recycling Rates from 1960 - 2DD5
0.0
50.0%
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
^ Total MSW recycling | Percent recycling
Table 3
Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, Combustion with Energy Recovery, and Discards of Municipal
Solid Waste, 19GD - 2DD5
(in pounds per person per day)
Activity
Generation
Recovery for recycling
Recovery for composting*
Total Materials Recovery
Combustion with Energy
Recoveryt
Discards to Landfill,
Other Disposal}:
Population (millions)
1960
2.68
0.17
Neg.
0.17
0.00
2.51
179.979
1970
3.25
0.22
Neg.
0.22
0.01
3.02
203.984
1980
3.66
0.35
Neg.
0.35
0.07
3.24
227.255
1990
4.50
0.64
0.09
0.73
0.65
3.12
249.907
2000
4.63
1.03
0.32
1.35
0.66
2.62
281.422
2003
4.53
1.05
0.36
1.41
0.63
2.49
290.850
2004
4.61
1.07
0.38
1.45
0.64
2.52
293.660
2005
4.54
1.08
0.38
1.46
0.62
2.46
296.410
* 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.
f 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).
t Discards after recovery minus combustion with energy recovery.
Details may not add to totals due to rounding.
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MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IN 2005
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 activi-
ty, contribute to these variations.
We analyze MSW two ways. The first is by material (paper and paperboard, yard trimmings, food
scraps, plastics, metals, rubber, leather and textiles, wood, glass, and other); the second is by
major product categories. Product categories include durable goods (like furniture and appli-
ances), nondurable goods (like newspapers, disposable diapers, and clothing), containers and
packaging (like milk cartons, corrugated cardboard boxes, and plastic wrap), and other wastes
(like food scraps and yard trimmings).
Materials in MSW
Organic materials continue to be the largest components of MSW. Rounding to the nearest
whole number, paper and paperboard products account for 34 percent of the waste stream, with
yard trimmings and food scraps accounting for about 25 percent. Plastics comprise 12 percent;
metals make up 8 percent; rubber, leather, and textiles account for 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 2005. A breakdown, by weight, of the MSW materials generat-
ed in 2005 is provided in Figure 3.
Figure 3
Total MSW Generation - 2DD5 (Before Recycling = 246 million tons)
Yard Trimmings 13.1%
Wood 5.7%
Food Scraps 11.9%
Other 3.4%
Rubber, Leather, and
Textiles 7.3%
Plastics 11.8%
Paper and
Paperboard 34.2%
Metals 7.6%
Glass 5.2%
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Some material from each MSW category was recycled or composted in 2005. The highest
recovery rates were achieved in yard trimmings, paper and paperboard products, and metal
products. Almost 21 million tons of yard trimmings were composted, representing a five-fold
increase since 1990. Half the paper and paperboard generated in 2005 was recycled.
Recycling these organic materials alone kept 25 percent of municipal solid waste out of land-
fills and combustion facilities. Nearly 7 million tons, or about 37 percent, of metals were
recycled too. Recycling rates (recovery as a percent of generation) for all materials in 2005
are listed in Table 4.
Table 4
Generation and Recovery of Materials in MSW, 2DD5
(in millons of tons and percent of generation of each material)
Material
Paper and paperboard
Glass
Weight
Generated
84.0
12.8
Weight
Recovered
42.0
2.76
Recovery as a
Percent of
Generation
50.0%
21.6%
Metals
Steel
Aluminum
Other nonferrous metals*
Total Metals
Plastics
Rubber and leather
Textiles
Wood
Other materials
Total Materials in Products
13.8
3.21
1.74
18.7
28.9
6.70
11.1
13.9
4.57
180.7
4.93
0.69
1.26
6.88
1.65
0.96
1.70
1.31
1.17
58.4
35.8%
21.5%
72.4%
36.8%
5.7%
14.3%
15.3%
9.4%
25.6%
32.3%
Other Wastes
Food, other**
Yard trimmings
Miscellaneous inorganic wastes
Total Other Wastes
TOTAL MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
29.2
32.1
3.69
65.0
245.7
0.69
19.9
Neg.
20.6
79.0
2.4%
61 .9%
Neg.
31 .6%
32.1%
Includes waste from residential, commercial, and institutional sources.
Includes lead from lead-acid batteries.
**lncludes 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 2005 is shown in Figure 4.
Containers and packaging made up the largest portion of waste generated, about 77 million
tons. The second-largest portion of MSW was nondurable goods, comprising nearly 64 million
tons. Durable goods make up the third largest segment, accounting for 40 million tons.
Figure 4
Products Generated in MSW - 2DD5 (Total Weight = 246 million tons)
Containers and
Packaging 31.2%
Nondurable Goods 25.9%
Food Scraps 11.9%
Yard Trimmings 13.1%
Other Wastes 1.5%
Durable Goods 16.4%
The generation and recovery of product categories in MSW in 2005 are shown in Table 5. This
table shows that recovery of containers and packaging was the highest of the four product cate-
gories, recycling almost 40 percent of containers and packaging. Aluminum, steel, and paper
products were the most recycled materials by percentage in this category. About 36 percent of
aluminum was recycled (about 45 percent of all aluminum beverage cans were recycled), while
more than 63 percent of steel packaging (mostly cans) was recycled. About 50 percent of paper
and paperboard was recycled; corrugated cardboard boxes accounted for most of that amount.
Around 25 percent of glass containers were recycled, while about 15 percent of wood packag-
ing—mostly wood pallets—was recovered for recycling. More than 9 percent of plastic containers
and packaging were recycled, mostly from soft drink, milk, and water bottles.
Overall recovery of nondurable goods was 32 percent in 2005. Paper products, such as newspa-
pers and high-grade office papers, were the most recycled materials. Newspapers alone were
recycled at a rate of 89 percent. Approximately 63 percent of high-grade office papers and 39
percent of magazines were recovered. About 36 percent of unwanted mail was recovered, as
well as 18 percent of telephone directories.
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 18 percent.
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Table 5
Generation and Recovery of Products in MSW by Material, 2DD5
(in millons of tons and percent of generation of each product)
Weight
Generated
Weight
Recovered
Recovery
as a Percent of
Generation
Durable Goods
Steel
Aluminum
Other non-ferrous metals*
Total metals
Glass
Plastics
Rubber and leather
Wood
Textiles
Other materials
Total durable goods
11.4
1.08
1.74
14.2
1.83
8.71
5.68
5.37
3.02
1.45
40.3
3.43
Neg.
1.26
4.69
0.37
0.96
Neg.
0.28
1.17
7.47
30.1%
Neg.
72.4%
33.0%
4.2%
16.9%
Neg.
9.3%
80.7%
18.5%
Nondurable Goods
Paper and paperboard
Plastics
Rubber and leather
Textiles
Other materials
Total nondurable goods
44.9
6.55
0.99
7.91
3.36
63.7
19.0
1.42
Neg.
20.5
42.4%
18.0%
Neg.
32.1%
Containers and Packaging
Steel
Aluminum
Total metals
Glass
Paper and paperboard
Plastics
Wood
Other materials
Total containers and packaging
2.37
1.90
4.27
10.9
39.0
13.7
8.56
0.24
76.7
1.50
0.69
2.19
2.76
22.9
1.28
1.31
30.5
63.3%
36.3%
51 .3%
25.3%
58.8%
9.4%
15.3%
39.8%
Other Wastes
Food, other**
Yard trimmings
Miscellaneous inorganic wastes
Total other wastes
TOTAL MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
29.2
32.1
3.69
65.0
245.7
0.69
19.9
Neg
20.6
79.0
2.4%
61 .9%
Neg
31 .6%
32.1%
Includes waste from residential, commercial, and institutional sources.
Includes lead from lead-acid batteries.
**lncludes 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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Overall, more than 18 percent of durable goods were recovered in 2005. Nonferrous metals other
than aluminum had one of the highest recovery rates, at about 72 percent, due to the high rate
of lead recovery from lead-acid batteries. Recovery of steel in all durable goods was 30 percent,
with high rates of recovery from appliances and other miscellaneous durable goods.
Lead-acid batteries were one of the most recovered products in 2005, with an impressive
recycling rate of about 99 percent. Other products with particularly high recovery rates were
newspapers (about 89 percent), corrugated boxes (about 72 percent), major appliances
(67 percent), steel cans (about 63 percent), and aluminum beverage cans (about 45 percent).
Additionally, around 35 percent of rubber tires were recycled, while other tires were retreaded
and shredded rubber tires were converted to fuel.
Figure 5
Number of Landfills in the United States by Year
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
7,924
7,379
6,326
5,812
5,386
4,482
3,558
3'197 3,091
2,514
2,314
11,654
data not •
available
1988198919901991 19921993199419951996199719981999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
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Figure 6
Management of MSW in the United States, 2DD5
Discarded 54.3%
Recovery 32.1%
Combustion with Energy
Recovery 13.6%
FOR MORE INFORMATION
This report and previous reports in the same series are available on the Internet at
. Detailed data tables for 2005 and
previous years may be found at the same location. General information on municipal solid
waste is available on the Internet at .
10
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