United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling,
and Disposal in the United States:
Facts and Figures for 2011
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 2011.
In 2011, Americans generated about 250 million tons1 of trash and recycled and
composted almost 87 million tons of this material, equivalent to a 34.7 percent
recycling rate (See Figure 1 and Figure 2). On average, we recycled and composted
1.53 pounds out of our individual waste generation of 4.40 pounds per person per day.
Figure 1. MSW Generation Rates, 1960 to 2011
300
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2011
^^^ Total MSW generation ^^^ Per capita generation
' U.S. short tons unless specified.
-------
Figure 2. MSW Recycling Rates, 1960 to 2011
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995
A Total MSW recycling |- Percent recycling
2000
2005
2011
Trends in Municipal Solid Waste in 2011
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 waste, grass clippings, sofas, computers,
tires, and refrigerators. MSW does not include
industrial, hazardous, or construction waste.
In 2011, Americans recovered over 66 million tons
of MSW (excluding composting) through recycling.
Composting recovered over 20 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 2011, newspaper/mechanical papers recovery
was about 73 percent (6.6 million tons), and over
57 percent of yard trimmings were recovered (see
Figure 3). Metals were recycled at a rate of about
34 percent (see Table 1). By recycling, instead
of landfilling and combustion, about 7.5 million
tons of metals (which includes aluminum, steel,
and mixed metals), we eliminated greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions totaling more than 20 million
metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
(MMTCO E). This is equivalent to removing more than 4 million cars from the road for one year.2
About 134 million tons of MSW (53.6 percent) were discarded in landfills in 2011 (see Figure 4).
Over the last few decades, the generation,
recycling, composting, and disposal of MSW
have changed substantially. Solid waste
generation per person per day peaked in 2000
while the 4.40 pounds per person per day is
the lowest since the 1980's. The recycling rate
has increased-from less than 10 percent of
MSW generated in 1980 to over 34 percent
in 2011. Disposal of waste to a landfill has
decreased from 89 percent of the amount
generated in 1980 to under 54 percent of MSW
in 2011.
2 All benefit calculations in this fact sheet are derived from EPA's Waste Reduction Model (WARM). Please see www.epa.gov/warm
-------
Figure 3. Recycling Rates of Selected Products, 201V
120
100
ro
en
60
40
20
Auto Newspapers / Steel
Batteries Mechanical Cans
Papers
*Does not include combustion with energy recovery.
Yard Aluminum Beer
Trimmings & Soda Cans
Products
Tires Glass PET Bottles HOPE Natural
Containers SJars (White Translucent)
Bottles
Figure 4. Management of MSW in the United States, 2011
-------
Sources of MSW
Sources of MSW include residential waste
(including waste from apartment houses) and waste Nationally, we recycled and composted almost
from commercial and institutional locations, such
as businesses, schools, and hospitals. 87 million tons of municipal solid waste. This
provides an annual benefit of more than 183
Analyzing MSW million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
We analyze waste by material, such as paper emissions reduced, comparable to the annual
and paperboard, yard trimmings, food waste, GHG emissions from over 34 mi||ion passenger
and plastics, and by major product categories,
which include durable goods (such as furniture), venides.
nondurable goods (such as paper or clothing),
containers and packaging (such as milk cartons and
plastic wrap), and other materials (such as food
waste).
Materials in MSW
Total MSW generation in 2011 was 250 million tons. Organic materials continue to be the largest component
of MSW. Paper and paperboard account for 28 percent and yard trimmings and food waste accounts for
another 28 percent. Plastics comprise about 13 percent; metals make up 9 percent; and rubber, leather, and
textiles account for 8 percent. Wood follows at around 6 percent and glass at 5 percent. Other miscellaneous
wastes make up approximately 3 percent of the MSW generated in 2011 (see Figure 5).
Total MSW recovery in 2011 was almost 87 million tons. Similar to generation, organic materials are the
largest component of MSW recovery. Paper and paperboard account for 53 percent and yard trimmings
account for about 22 percent and food waste accounts for another 2 percent. Metals comprise about
9 percent; glass about 4 percent; and plastic and wood about 3 percent each. Other miscellaneous
materials make up about 5 percent of MSW recovery in 2011 (see Figure 6).
After MSW recovery through recycling and composting, 164 million tons of MSW were discarded in
2011. Food waste is the largest component of discards at 21 percent. Plastics comprise 18 percent; paper
and paperboard make up 15 percent; and rubber, leather, and textiles account for 11 percent of MSW
discards. The other materials account for less than 10 percent each (see Figure 7).
Significant amounts of material from each category were
recycled or composted in 2011. The highest recovery rates
were achieved in paper and paperboard, yard trimmings, Recycling and Composting
and metals. We recycled more than 65 percent of the almost 87 million tons
paper and paperboard we generated. Over 19 million tons ,,,_.,, ,
f At • • t A i of MSW saved more
oi yard trimmings were composted, representing almost
a five-fold increase since 1990. Recycling these three than 1.1 quadrillion BtU
materials alone kept 29 percent of MSW generated out of Qf ^ ^ ^ amount Qf
landfills and combustion facilities. Recycling amounts and
rates (recovery as a percent of generation) for all materials energy consumed by Over 10 million U.S.
in 2011 are listed in Table 1. This table also presents households in a vear
millions of tons of discarded materials.
-------
Figure 5. Total MSW Generation (by material), 2011
250 Million Tons (before recycling)
Figure 6. Total MSW Recovery (by material), 2011
87 Million Tons
Yard
trimmings
13.5%
Rubber, leather
& textiles
8.2%
Plastics
12.7%
Metals G,ass
Paper &
paperboard
28.0%
Other
3.3%
Wood 2.7% Food waste 1.6%
Plastics 3.1 %x . \ f Other 5.3%
Figure 7. Total MSW Discards (by material), 2011
164 Million Tons (after recycling and composting)
Food waste
21.3%
Plastics
17.8%
Ler, leather
extiles
0.6%
Other
4.4%
Paper & paperboard
14.8%
Yard trimmings
8.8%
Metals
8.8%
Figure 8. Total MSW Generation (by category), 2011
250 Million Tons (before recycling)
-------
Products in MSW
The breakdown, by weight, of waste generated in 2011 by product category is shown in Figure 8.
Containers and packaging made up the largest portion of MSW generated: about 30 percent, or almost
76 million tons. The second largest portion came from nondurable goods, which amounted to 21
percent, or about 52 million tons. Durable goods make up the third largest segment, accounting for
about 20 percent, or 49 million tons.
The generation, recovery, and discards 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 over 50 percent of the generated materials recycled.
Paper products, steel, and aluminum were the most recycled materials by percentage in this category. Over
75 percent of paper and paperboard containers and packaging was recycled. Seventy-two percent of steel
packaging (mostly cans) was recycled. The recycling rate for aluminum packaging were about 39 percent,
including almost 55 percent of aluminum beverage cans.
Over 34 percent of glass containers were recycled while about 24 percent of wood packaging, mostly
wood pallets, was recovered. About 13 percent of plastic containers and packaging were recycled,
mostly from soft drink, milk, and water bottles. Plastic bottles were the most recycled plastic products.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and jars were recovered at about 29 percent. Recovery of high
density polyethylene (HDPE) natural (white translucent) bottles was also estimated at about 29 percent
(see 2011 MSW full report).
Overall recovery of nondurable goods was over 36 percent in 2011. Nondurable goods generally last
less than three years. Newspapers/mechanical papers and other paper products were the most recycled
nondurable goods. Newspapers/mechanical papers include newspapers, directories, inserts, and some
advertisement and direct mail printing. About 73 percent of newspapers/mechanical papers were
recovered. Collectively, the recovery of other paper products such as office paper and magazines was over
46 percent in 2011. Clothing, footwear, and other textile products are included in the nondurable goods
category. These products were recovered for recycling at a rate of over 16 percent.
Overall, more than 18 percent of durable goods was
recovered in 2011. Nonferrous metals other than
aluminum had one of the highest recovery rates due to
the high rate of lead 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 27 percent,
with high rates of recovery from appliances and other
miscellaneous items.
Measured by percentage of generation, products with
the highest recovery rates in 2011 were lead-acid
batteries (96 percent), corrugated boxes (91 percent),
newspapers/mechanical papers (73 percent), steel
cans (71 percent), major appliances (64 percent), yard
trimmings (57 percent), aluminum cans (55 percent),
and mixed paper (47 percent) (see 2011 MSW full
report).
Recycling Trends
In percentage of total MSW generation,
recovery for recycling (including
composting) did not exceed 15 percent
until 1990. Growth in the recovery rate
to current levels (34.7 percent) reflects
an increase in infrastructure and market
demand for recovery over the last decade.
-------
Table 1. Generation, Recovery, and Discards of Materials in MSW, 201V
(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
70.02
11.47
16.52
3.47
1.96
21.95
31.84
7.49
13.09
16.08
4.59
176.53
36.31
33.71
3.87
73.89
250.42
Weight
Recovered
45.90
3.17
5.45
0.72
1.34
7.51
2.65
1.31
2.00
2.38
1.28
66.20
1.40
19.30
Negligible
20.70
86.90
Recovery as Percent
of Generation
65.6%
27.6%
33.0%
20.7%
68.4%
34.2%
8.3%
17.5%
1 5.3%
14.8%
27.9%
37.5%
3.9%
57.3%
Negligible
28.0%
34.7%
Weight
Discarded
24.12
8.30
11.07
2.75
0.62
14.44
29.19
6.18
11.09
13.70
3.31
110.33
34.91
14.41
3.87
53.19
163.52
* 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.
-------
Disposing of MSW
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 for our current disposal
practices, although it is limited in some areas.
• Since 1990, the total amount of MSW going to landfills dropped by over 11 million tons, from 145.3
million to 134.2 million tons in 2011 (see Table 3).
• The net per capita discard rate (after recycling, composting, and combustion for energy recovery) was
2.36 pounds per day, lower than 3.19 per capita rate in 1990 (see Table 4).
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. 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. Aside from reducing GHG
emissions, which contribute to global warming, recycling
also provides significant economic and job creation impacts.
Every ton of mixed paper recycled
can save the
energy equivalent
of 165 gallons
of gasoline.
Recycling and Composting
Collection Programs3
Over 9,800 curbside recycling
programs exist nationwide, up from
8,875 in 2002.
• About 3,090 community composting
programs were documented in 2011,
a decrease from 3,227 in 2002.
The energy and GHG benefits of recycling and composting
shown in Table 5 are calculated using EPAs WARM
methodology (see: www.epa.gov/warm). WARM calculates
and totals GHG emissions of baseline and alternative
waste management practices including source reduction,
recycling, composting, combustion, and landfilling.
Paper and paperboard recovery at about 46 million tons
resulted in a reduction of 134.5 MMTCO2E in 2011. This is
equivalent to removing 28 million cars from the road in one
year.
In 2011, nationally, we recycled and composted almost
87 million tons of MSW. This provides an annual benefit
of more than 183 million metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent emissions reduced, comparable to removing the
emissions from over 34 million passenger vehicles.
3 Source: For 2002 data: BioCyde 2006.
For 2011 data: EPA, Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2011 Facts and Figures.
-------
Table 2. Generation, Recovery, and Discards of Products in MSW, 2011*
(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
14.34
1.43
1.96
2.19
11.42
6.44
6.03
3.84
1.69
49.34
31.99
6.52
1.05
8.95
3.10
51.61
2.18
1.85
9.28
38.02
13.90
10.00
0.35
75.58
36.31
33.71
3.87
73.89
250.42
Weight
Recovered
3.88
Negligible
1.34
Negligible
0.74
1.31
Negligible
0.52
1.28
9.07
17.24
0.11
Negligible
1.48
Negligible
18.83
1.57
0.72
3.17
28.66
1.80
2.38
Negligible
38.30
1.40
19.30
Negligible
20.70
86.90
Recovery as Percent
of Generation
27.1%
Negligible
68.4%
Negligible
6.5%
20.3%
Negligible
13.5%
75.7%
18.4%
53.9%
1 .7%
Negligible
16.5%
Negligible
36.5%
72.0%
38.9%
34.2%
75.4%
12.9%
23.8%
Negligible
50.7%
3.9%
57.3%
Negligible
28.0%
34.7%
Weight
Discarded
10.46
1.43
0.62
2.19
10.68
5.13
6.03
3.32
0.41
40.27
14.75
6.41
1.05
7.47
3.10
32.78
0.61
1.13
6.11
9.36
12.10
7.62
0.35
37.28
34.91
14.41
3.87
53.19
163.52
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.
-------
Table 3. Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, Combustion With Energy Recovery, and Discards of MSW,
1960 to 2011 (in millions of tons)
Activity 1960
Generation
Recovery for
88.1
5.6
1970
121.1
8.0
recycling
Recovery for
Negligible
Negligible
composting*
Total materials
recovery
Discards after
recovery
Combustion
with energy
recoveryt
Discards to
landfill, other
disposal*
5.6
82.5
0.0
82.5
8.0
113.1
0.4
112.7
1980
151.6
14.5
Negligible
14.5
137.1
2.7
134.4
1990
208.3
29.0
4.2
33.2
175.1
29.7
145.3
2000
243.5
53.0
16.5
69.5
174.0
33.7
140.3
2005
253.7
59.2
20.6
79.8
173.9
31.6
142.3
2007
256.5
63.1
21.7
84.8
171.7
32.0
139.7
2009
244.3
61.6
20.8
82.4
161.9
29.0
132.9
2010
250.5
65.0
20.2
85.2
165.3
29.3
136.0
2011
250.4
66.2
20.7
86.9
163.5
29.3
134.2
* Composting of yard trimmings, food waste, 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.
Thinking Beyond Waste
Recycling just 1 ton of aluminum
EPA is helping change the way our society protects the
environment and conserves resources for future generations by
thinking beyond recycling, composting, and disposal. Building
on the familiar concept of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, the Agency
is employing a systemic approach that seeks to reduce materials
use and associated environmental impacts over their entire
life cycle, called sustainable materials management (SMM).
This starts with extraction of natural resources and material
processing through product design and manufacturing then
the product use stage followed by collection/processing and
final end of life (disposal). By examining how materials are
used throughout their life cycle, an SMM approach seeks to
use materials in the most productive way with an emphasis on
using less; reducing toxic chemicals and environmental impacts
throughout the material life cycle; and assuring we have sufficient resources to meet today's needs and
those of the future. Data on municipal solid waste generation, recycling and disposal is an important
starting point for the full SMM approach.
cans conserves more than 153
million Btu,
the equivalent
of 26 barrels
of oil, or 1,665
gallons of
gasoline.
10
-------
Table 4. Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, Combustion With Energy Recovery,
and Discards of MSW, 1960 to 2011 (in pounds per person per day)
Activity
Generation
Recovery for
recycling
Recovery for
composting*
Total Materials
Recovery
Discards after
recovery
Combustion
with energy
recoveryt
Discards to
landfill, other
disposal*
Population
(millions)
1960 1970
2.68
0.17
Negligible
0.17
2.51
0.00
2.51
179.979
3.25
0.22
Negligible
0.22
3.03
0.01
3.02
203.984
1980
3.66
0.35
Negligible
0.35
3.31
0.07
3.24
227.255
1990
4.57
0.64
0.09
0.73
3.84
0.65
3.19
249.907
2000
4.74
1.03
0.32
1.35
3.39
0.66
2.73
281.422
2005
4.69
1.10
0.38
1.48
3.21
0.58
2.63
296.410
2007
4.66
1.15
0.39
1.54
3.12
0.58
2.54
301.621
2009
4.36
1.10
0.37
1.47
2.89
0.52
2.37
307.007
2010
4.44
1.15
0.36
1.51
2.93
0.52
2.41
309.051
2011
4.40
1.16
0.37
1.53
2.87
0.51
2.36
311.592
* Composting of yard trimmings, food waste, 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.
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 industry 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.
Energy Recovered from
Waste Combustion
• In 2011, over 29 million tons of
materials, or 11.7 percent, were
combusted for energy recovery.
• MSW combustion for energy
recovery has decreased from
about 34 million tons in 2000 to
29 million tons in 2011.
11
-------
Table 5. Greenhouse Gas Benefits Associated with Recovery of Specific Materials, 2011*
(in millions of tons recovered, MMTC02E and in numbers of cars taken off the road per year) **
Material
Paper and paperboard
Glass
Metals
Steel
Aluminum
Other nonferrous metalst
Total metals
Plastics
Rubber and leather*
Textiles
Wood
Other wastes
Food, otherA
Yard trimmings
Weight Recovered
(millions of tons)
45.9
3.17
5.45
0.72
1.34
7.51
2.65
1.31
2
2.38
1.40
19.3
GHG Benefits
MMTC02E
134.5
1
9
6.4
5.2
20.6
3.1
0.6
5.1
4.2
1.1
0.8
Numbers of Cars Taken Off
the Road per Year
28 million
210 thousand
1.9 million
1.3 million
1 million
4.2 million
640 thousand
130 thousand
1 million
1 million
230 thousand
1 70 thousand
* Includes materials from residential, commercial, and institutional sources.
** These calculations do not include an additional 1.28 million tons of MSW recovered that could not be addressed in the WARM model.
MMTC02E is million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
t Includes lead from lead-acid batteries. Other nonferrous metals calculated in WARM as mixed metals.
$ Recovery only includes rubber from tires.
A Includes recovery of other MSW organics for composting.
Source: WARM model (www.epa.gov/warm)
The benefits of recycfing and composting, such as efimination of GHG emissions, are cafcufated using
EPA's WARM methodofogy. Pfease see: www.epa.gov/warm.
WARM cafcufates and totafs GHG emissions of basefine and afternative waste management practices
incfuding source reduction, recycfing, composting, combustion, and fandfiffing. The modef cafcufates
emissions in metric tons of carbon equivafent (MTCE), metric tons of carbon dioxide equivafent
(MTCO2E), and energy units (miffion Btu) across a wide range of materiaf types commonfy found in
MSW. EPA devefoped GHG emissions reduction factors through a fife-cycfe assessment methodofogy.
EPA's report, Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases: A Life-Cycle Assessment of Emissions and Sinks
(EPA-530-R-02-006), describes this methodofogy in detaif (www.epa.gov/cfimatechange/wycd/waste/
downfoads/fuffreport.pdf).
Fuff data tabfes on MSW characterization that support this Report and Summaries of the MSW
characterization methodofogy and WARM are avaifabfe on the EPA website afong with information about
waste reduction and recycfing. Pfease see:
www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipaf/msw99.htm
www. ep a. go v/r ecy cf e.
12
-------
-------
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
EPA530-F-13-001
May 2013
www.epa.gov/wastes
------- |