United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
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Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling,
and Disposal in the United States:
Facts and Figures for 2009
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has collected and reported data on
the generation and disposal of waste in the United States for more than 30 years. We
use this information to measure the success of waste reduction and recycling programs
across the country. These facts and figures are current through calendar year 2009.
In 2009, Americans generated about 243 million tons of trash and recycled and
composted 82 million tons of this material, equivalent to a 33.8 percent recycling rate*
(see Figure 1 and Figure 2). On average, we recycled and composted 1.46 pounds of
our individual waste generation of 4.34 pounds per person per day.
Figure 1. MSW Generation Rates, 1960 to 2009
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2007 2009
—*—Total MSW generation —•— Per capita generation
The previously published 2008 recycling rate, 33.2 percent, was revised to 33.4 percent in this year's report, based on updated data
(see Figure 2).
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Figure 2. MSW Recycling Rates, 1960 to 2009
50%
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 200520072009
A Total MSW recycling —•— Percent recycling
Trends in Municipal Solid Waste
in 2009
Our trash, or municipal solid waste (MSW), is made up
of the things we commonly use and then throw away.
These materials include items such as packaging, food
scraps, grass clippings, sofas, computers, tires, and
refrigerators. MSW does not include industrial, hazard-
ous, or construction waste.
In 2009, Americans recovered about 61 million tons of
MSW (excluding composting) through recycling. Com-
posting recovered about 21 million tons of waste. We
combusted about 29 million tons for energy recovery
(about 12 percent). Subtracting out what we recycled
and composted, we combusted (with energy recovery)
or discarded 2.9 pounds per person per day.
In 2009, office-type paper recovery rose to about 74
percent (4 million tons), and about 60 percent of yard
trimmings were recovered (see Figure 3). Metals were
recycled at a rate of about 34.5 percent (see Table
1). By recycling more than 7 million tons of metals
(which includes aluminum, steel, and mixed metals),
we eliminated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
totaling about 25 million metric tons of carbon diox-
ide equivalent (MMTCO E). This is equivalent to removing almost 5 million cars from the road for one
year.*
About 132 million tons of MSW (54.3 percent) were discarded in landfills in 2009 (see Figure 4).
Over the last few decades,
the generation, recycling,
composting, and disposal
of MSW have changed
substantially. While solid
waste generation has increased, from
3.66 to 4.34 pounds per person per day
between 1980 and 2009, the recycling
rate has also increased—from less than
10 percent of MSW generated in 1980 to
almost 34 percent in 2009. Disposal of
waste to a landfill has decreased from 89
percent of the amount generated in 1980
to about 54 percent of MSW in 2009.
1 All benefit calculations in this fact sheet are derived from EPA's Waste Reduction Model (WARM). Please see www.epa.gov/warm
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Figure 3. Recycling Rates of Selected Products, 2009*
Auto Office-type Steel Yard Aluminum Beer Tires
Batteries Papers Cans Trimmings & Soda Cans
Glass HOPE Natural PET Bottles
Containers (white & Jars
translucent)
Bottles
Products
*Does not include combustion (with energy recovery).
Figure 4. Management of MSW in the United States, 2009
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Sources of MSW
We estimated residential waste (including
waste from apartment houses) to be 55 to
65 percent of total MSW generation. Waste
from commercial and institutional locations,
such as schools, hospitals, and businesses,
amounted to 35 to 45 percent.
Nationally, we recycled and composted 82 million
tons of municipal solid waste. This provides an annual
benefit of 178 million metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent emissions reduced, comparable to the
annual GHG emissions from almost 33 million
passenger vehicles.
Analyzing MSW
We analyze waste by material, such as paper
and paperboard, yard trimmings, food scraps, and plastics, and by major product categories, which include
durable goods (such as furniture), nondurable goods (such as paper or clothing), containers and packaging
(such as milk cartons and plastic wrap), and other materials (such as food scraps).
Materials in MSW
Total MSW generation in 2009 was 243 million tons. Organic materials continue to be the largest component
of MSW. Paper and paperboard account for 28 percent and yard trimmings and food scraps account for
another 28 percent. Plastics comprise 12 percent; metals make up almost 9 percent; and rubber, leather, and
textiles account for 8 percent. Wood follows at around 7 percent and glass at 5 percent. Other miscellaneous
wastes make up approximately 4 percent of the MSW generated in 2009 (see Figure 5).
Figure 5. Total MSW Generation (by material), 2009
243 Million Tons (before recycling)
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Table 1. Generation and Recovery of Materials in MSW, 2009*
(in millions of tons and percent of generation of each material)
Material
Paper and paperboard
Glass
Metals
Steel
Aluminum
Other nonferrous metalst
Total metals
Plastics
Rubber and leather
Textiles
Wood
Other materials
Total materials in products
Other wastes
Food, other*
Yard trimmings
Miscellaneous inorganic wastes
Total other wastes
Total municipal solid waste
Weight Generated
68.43
11.78
15.62
3.40
1.89
20.91
29.83
7.49
12.73
15.84
4.64
171.65
34.29
33.20
3.82
71.31
242.96
Weight Recovered
42.50
3.00
5.23
0.69
1.30
7.22
2.12
1.07
1.90
2.23
1.23
61.27
0.85
19.90
Negligible
20.75
82.02
Recovery as Percent
of Generation
62.1%
25.5%
33.5%
20.3%
68.8%
34.5%
7.1%
14.3%
14.9%
14.1%
26.5%
35.7%
2.5%
59.9%
Negligible
29.1%
33.8%
* Includes waste from residential, commercial, and institutional sources.
t Includes lead from lead-acid batteries.
$ Includes recovery of other MSW organics for composting.
Details might not add to totals due to rounding.
Negligible = Less than 5,000 tons or 0.05 percent.
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Significant amounts of materiai from each category were
recycfed or composted in 2009. The highest recovery rates
were achieved in paper and paperboard, yard trimmings,
and metafs. We recycfed more than 60 percent of the paper
and paperboard we generated. About 20 miffion tons of yard
trimmings were composted, representing about a five-fofd
increase since 1990. Recycling these organic materiafs afone
kept 26 percent of MSW out of landfills and combustion
facilities. Recycling amounts and rates (recovery as a percent
of generation) for all materials in 2009 are listed in Table 1.
Recycling and composting 82 million
tons of MSW saved almost 1.3
quadrillion Btu of energy,
the equivalent of 224
million barrels of oil.
Products in MSW
The breakdown, by weight, of waste generated in 2009 by product category is shown in Figure 6.
Containers and packaging made up the largest portion of MSW generated: almost 30 percent, or about
72 million tons. The second largest portion came from nondurable goods, which amounted to 22 per-
cent, or about 53 million tons. Durable goods make up the third largest segment, accounting for
19 percent, or almost 47 million tons.
The generation and recovery of materials in the product categories, by weight and recovery as a percent of
generation, are shown in Table 2. This table shows that the recovery of containers and packaging was the
highest of the four product categories, with about 48 percent of the generated materials recycled. Steel,
paper products, and aluminum were the most recycled materials by percentage in this category. More than
66 percent of steel packaging (mostly cans) was recycled. About seventy-two percent of paper and paper-
board containers and packaging was recycled, including 81 percent of all corrugated boxes. The recycling
rate for aluminum packaging was about 38 percent, including almost 51 percent of aluminum beverage cans.
Figure 6. Total MSW Generation (by category), 2009
243 million tons (before recycling)
Other Wastes
1.5%
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Ta
ble 2. Generation and Recovery of Products in MSW, 2009* (in millions of tons and percent of generation of each product)
Products
Durable goods
Steel
Aluminum
Other non-ferrous metals*
Glass
Plastics
Rubber and leather
Wood
Textiles
Other materials
Total durable goods
Nondurable goods
Paper and paperboard
Plastics
Rubber and leather
Textiles
Other materials
Total nondurable goods
Containers and packaging
Steel
Aluminum
Glass
Paper and paperboard
Plastics
Wood
Other materials
Total containers and packaging
Other wastes
Food, other*
Yard trimmings
Miscellaneous inorganic wastes
Total other wastes
Total municipal solid waste
Weight Generated
13.34
1.35
1.89
2.12
10.65
6.43
5.76
3.49
1.61
46.64
33.48
6.65
1.06
9.00
3.25
53.44
2.28
1.84
9.66
34.94
12.53
10.08
0.24
71.57
34.29
33.20
3.82
71.31
242.96
Weight Recovered
3.72
Negligible
1.30
Negligible
0.40
1.07
Negligible
.044
1.23
8.16
17.43
Negligible
Negligible
1.46
Negligible
18.89
1.51
0.69
3.00
25.07
1.72
2.23
Negligible
34.22
0.85
19.90
Negligible
20.75
82.02
Recovery as Percent of
Generation
27.9%
Negligible
68.8%
Negligible
3.8%
16.6%
Negligible
12.6%
76.4%
17.5%
52.1%
Negligible
Negligible
16.2%
Negligible
35.3%
66.2%
37.5%
31.1%
71 .8%
13.7%
22.1%
Negligible
47.8%
2.5%
59.9%
Negligible
29.1%
33.8%
Includes waste from residential, commercial, and institutional sources.
Includes lead from lead-acid batteries.
Includes recovery of other MSW organics for composting.
Details might not add to totals due to rounding.
Negligible = less than 5,000 tons or 0.05 percent.
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Table 3. Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, Combustion With Energy Recovery, and Discards of MSW,
1960 to 2009 (in million of tons)
Activity
Generation
Recovery for
recycling
Recovery for
composting*
Total materials
recovery
Combustion
with energy
recoveryt
Discards to
landfill, other
disposal*
1960
88.1
5.6
Negligible
5.6
0.0
82.5
1970
121.1
8.0
Negligible
8.0
0.4
112.7
1980
151.6
14.5
Negligible
14.5
2.7
134.4
1990
208.3
29.0
4.2
33.2
29.7
145.3
2000
242.5
53.0
16.5
69.5
33.7
139.4
2005
252.4
59.3
20.6
79.9
31.6
140.9
2007
255.0
63.1
21.7
84.8
32.0
138.2
2008
251.0
61.8
22.1
83.9
31.6
135.6
2009
243.0
61.3
20.8
82.0
29.0
131.9
* Composting of yard trimmings, food scraps, and other MSW organic material. Does not include backyard composting.
t 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, tire-derived fuel).
$ Discards after recovery minus combustion with energy recovery. Discards include combustion without energy recovery.
Details might not add to totals due to rounding.
Around 31 percent of glass containers was recycled,
while about 22 percent of wood packaging—mostly EverVton of mixed PaPer recVcled
wood pallets—was recovered. Almost 14 percent of plas- can save the energy
tic containers and packaging was recycled, mostly from
soft drink, milk, and water bottles. Plastic bottles were eC1UIValent °f 165 9all°nS
the most recycled plastic products. Recovery of high of gasoline.
density polyethylene (HDPE) natural (white translucent)
bottles was estimated at about 29 percent. Polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) bottles and jars were recovered at 28
percent (see full 2009 MSW report).
Overall recovery of nondurable goods was just over 35 percent in 2009. Nondurable goods generally last
less than three years. Paper products, such as newspapers and high-grade office papers were the most
recycled nondurable goods. Newspapers alone were recycled at a rate of 88 percent. Approximately 74
percent of high-grade office papers and 54 percent of magazines were recovered. Sixty-three percent of
unwanted mail, 37 percent of telephone directories, and 33 percent of books were recovered for recycling
in 2009 (see the full MSW report). Clothing and other textile products are included in the nondurable
goods category. These products were recovered for recycling at a rate of 16 percent.
Overall, about 18 percent of durable goods was recovered in 2009. Nonferrous metals other than
aluminum had one of the highest recovery rates—around 69 percent—due to the high rate of lead
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recovery from lead-acid batteries. With a 96 percent
recycling rate, lead-acid batteries continue to be one
of the most recovered products. Recovery of steel in
all durable goods was 28 percent, with high rates of
recovery from appliances and other miscellaneous items.
Measured by percentage of generation, products with
the highest recovery rates in 2009 were lead-acid
batteries (96 percent), newspapers (88 percent),
corrugated boxes (81 percent), office-type papers (74
percent), major appliances (67 percent), steel packaging
(66 percent), yard trimmings (60 percent), commercial
printing papers (66 percent), standard mail (63 percent),
magazines (54 percent), aluminum cans (51 percent),
and folding cartons (50 percent) (see full 2009 MSW report).
Recycling and Composting
Collection Programs**
• Approximately 9,000 curbside recycling
programs exist nationwide, up from
8,875 in 2002.
• About 3,000 community composting
programs were documented in 2009, a
decrease from 3,227 in 2002.
Disposing of MSW
Table 4. Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, Combustion With Energy Recovery,
and Discards of MSW, 1960 to 2009 (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
1970
2.68 3.25
0.17
0.22
Negligible Negligible
0.17
0.00
2.51
179.979
0.22
0.01
3.02
203.984
1980
1990
2000
3.66 4.57 4.72
0.35
Negligible
0.35
0.07
3.24
227.255
0.64
0.09
0.73
0.65
3.19
249.907
1.03
0.32
1.35
0.66
2.71
281.422
2005
4.67
1.10
0.38
1.48
0.58
2.61
296.410
2007
4.63
1.15
0.39
1.54
0.58
2.51
301.621
2008
4.52
1.11
0.40
1.51
0.57
2.44
304.060
2009
4.34
1.09
0.37
1.46
0.52
2.36
307.007
* Composting of yard trimmings, food scraps, and other MSW organic material. Does not include backyard composting.
t 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, tire-derived fuel).
t Discards after recovery minus combustion with energy recovery. Discards include combustion without energy recovery.
Details might not add to totals due to rounding.
** Source: For 2002 data: fi/oCyc/e 2006.
For 2009 data: EPA, Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2009 Facts and Figures.
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While the number of U.S. landfills has steadily
declined over the years, the average landfill size has
increased. At the national level, landfill capacity
appears to be sufficient, although it is limited in some
areas.
• Since 1990, the total amount of MSW going to land-
fills dropped by more than 13 million tons, from 145.3
million to 131.9 million tons in 2009 (see Table 3).
• The net per capita discard rate (after recycling,
composting, and combustion for energy recovery) was
2.36 pounds per person per day, lower than the 2.51
per capita rate in 1960, when virtually no recycling
occurred in the United States (see Table 4).
Recycling just 1 ton of aluminum cans
conserves more than 207 million Btu,
the equivalent of 36
barrels of oil, or 1,665
gallons of gasoline.
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The Benefits of Recycling
Recycling has environmental benefits at every stage in the life cycle of a consumer product—from the
raw material with which it's made to its final method of disposal. Aside from reducing GHG emissions,
which contribute to global warming, recycling also reduces air and water pollution associated with mak-
ing new products from raw materials. By utilizing used, unwanted, or obsolete materials as industrial
feedstocks or for new materials or products, we can each do our part to make recycling work. Recycling
also provides significant economic and job creation impacts, a topic discussed at www.epa.gov/epawaste/
conserve/rrr/rmd/econ.htm.
Nationally, we recycled 82 million tons of MSW. This provides an annual benefit of 178 million metric
tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reduced, comparable to removing the emissions from almost
33 million passenger vehicles. But the ultimate benefits from recycling are cleaner land, air, and water,
overall better health, and a more sustainable economy.
Resources
The data summarized in this fact sheet characterizes
the MSW stream as a whole by using a materials flow
methodology that relies on a mass balance approach.
For example, to determine the amounts of paper
recycled, information is gathered on the amounts
processed by paper mills and made into new paper
on a national basis plus recycled paper exported,
instead of counting paper collected for recycling on a
state-by-state basis. Using data gathered from indus-
try associations, businesses, and government sources,
such as the U.S. Department of Commerce and the
U.S. Census Bureau, we estimate tons of materials and
products generated, recycled, and discarded. Other
sources of data, such as waste characterizations and
research reports performed by governments, industry, or the press, supplement these data.
The benefits of recycling and composting, such as elimination of GHG emissions, are calculated using
EPA's WARM methodology. Please see: www.epa.gov/warm
Energy Recovered from
Waste Combustion
• In 2009, about 29 million tons of
materials, or 11.9 percent, were
combusted for energy recovery.
• MSW combustion for energy recovery has
decreased from about 34 million tons in
2000 to about 29 million tons in 2009.
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WARM calculates and totals GHG emissions of baseline and alternative waste management practices—
source reduction, recycling, composting, combustion, and landfilling. The model calculates emissions
in metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE),
metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E),
and energy units (million Btu) across a wide range \n percentage of total MSW generation,
of material types commonly found in MSW. EPA
developed GHG emissions reduction factors through recoverV for recVdin9 (including composting)
a life-cycle assessment methodology EPAs report, did not exceed 1 5 percent until 1990.
Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases: A
Life-Cycle Assessment of Emissions and Sinks (EPA- Gr0wth in the reCOverV rate t0 Current
530-R-02-006), describes this methodology in detail levels (33.8 percent) reflects an increase
wwwepa.gov .n jnfrastruc|ure ancj mar|
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5306P)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA-530-F-010-012
December 2010
www.epa.gov/wastes
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