\y
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
a •
tm
*«**>
Advancing Sustainable
Materials Management:
2013 Fact Sheet
Assessing Trends in Material Generation,
Recycling and Disposal in the United States
June 2015
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Introduction
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 2013.
Formerly called Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal
in the United States: Facts and Figures, this fact sheet's new name
emphasizes the importance of Sustainable Materials Management (SMM).
The new name also reflects continuing efforts to expand, improve and
enhance the report with new information on historical landfill tipping
fees for municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition
(C&D) debris generation. A new expanded section on source reduction, or
waste prevention, is provided in the full report. Please see: www.epa.gov/
epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm.
In 2013, Americans generated about 254 million tons (U.S. short tons unless specified) of trash and recycled and
composted over 87 million tons of this material, equivalent to a 34.3 percent recycling rate (see Figure 1 and
Figure 2). On average, Americans recycled and composted 1.51 pounds out of our individual waste generation
rate of 4.40 pounds per person per day.
EPA's 2009 report, Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Materials and Land
Management Practices, shows that approximately 42 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are
Food
Nationally, the composting of
food rose from 1.74 million tons
in 2012 (4.8 percent of food) to
1.84 million tons in 2013(5.0
percent of food).
Figure 1. MSW Generation Rates, 1960 to 2013
300
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Figure 2. MSW Recycling Rates, 1960 to 2013
o
o
1
01
c
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insufficient to overcome the even higher demands we face in the future given projections around future world
population growth, economic growth and energy and material consumption.3 The United States consumed 46
percent more materials on a per capita basis in the year 2000 than in 1975 (see Figure 1). In the global context,
the total volume of material resources extracted or harvested worldwide reached nearly 60 billion metric
tons per year in 2007, with nonrenewable resource extraction accounting for 60 percent of global extraction.4
According to the World Resources Institute, "one half to three quarters of annual resource inputs to industrial
economies is returned to the environment as wastes within just one year."5
While EPA is currently updating the U.S. Recycling Economic Information (REI) Study which is due out later
this year, our 2001 study showed we have domestic capacity to process 2 billion pounds of soda bottles, yet
currently we only collect 1.4 billion annually. And there is growing demand for more recycled plastic. The
aluminum industry is eager for more aluminum cans - yet in the U.S. we dispose of nearly half of our cans,
which by the way are valued at nearly $1 billion.6 Glass recycling capacity exceeds supply. Paper recycling
is available to 96 percent of Americans.7 The structure is in place for steel can recycling. All of the materials
collected are used in recycling, and the forecast is for this demand to increase.
Over the last few decades, the
generation, recycling, composting
and disposal of MSW changed
substantially. Solid waste generation
per person per day peaked in 2000.
The 4.4 pounds per person per day in
2013 is about the same as in 2012,
and is one of the lowest rates since
1980. The recycling rate has increased
from less than 10 percent of generated
MSW in 1980 to over 34 percent in
2013. Disposal of generated waste in
landfills decreased from 89 percent in
1980 to under 53 percent in 2013.
Trends in Municipal Solid
Waste in 2013
Our trash, or MSW, is comprised of various items Americans commonly
throw away after being used.These items include packaging, food,
grass clippings, sofas, computers, tires and refrigerators. MSW does not
include industrial, hazardous or construction waste.
In 2013, Americans recovered over 64.7 million tons of MSW through
recycling, and over 22 million tons through composting. This is 1.12
pounds per person per day for recycling and 0.39 pounds per person
per day for composting. Americans combusted about 32.7 million tons
(about 13 percent) for energy recovery. Subtracting out what is recycled
and composted, we combusted (with energy recovery) or discarded in
landfills 2.89 pounds per person per day of MSW.
In 2013, the rate of lead-acid battery recovery was about 99 percent (2.85 million tons). The rate of newspapers/
mechanical papers recovery was about 67 percent (5.4 million tons), and over 60 percent (20.6 million tons) of
yard trimmings were recovered (see Figure 3). About 134.3 million tons of MSW (52.8 percent) were discarded in
landfills in 2013 (see Figure 4).
Three materials whose recycling rates rose from 2012 to 2013 are yard trimmings, selected consumer electronics
and food. In 2013, the rate of yard trimmings composting was 60.2 percent (20.60 million tons), up from 57.7
percent (19.59 million tons). This translates to 130 pounds per person per year of yard trimmings composted in
2013. In 2013, the rate of selected consumer electronics recovery was 40.4 percent (1.27 million tons) up from 30.6
percent in 2012 (1.00 million tons). This translates to 8 pounds per person per year recovered in 2013. In 2013,
the rate of food recovery was 5.0 percent (1.84 million tons), up from 4.8 percent in 2012 (1.74 million tons). This
translates to 12 pounds per person per year composted in 2013. Over the last few years, EPA has been heavily
invested in these areas.
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Figure 3. Recycling Rates of Selected Products, 2013*
100
5=- 80
c
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Sources of MSW
Sources of MSW include residential waste (including waste from apartment houses) and waste from commercial
and institutional locations, such as businesses, schools and hospitals.
Analyzing MSW
Nationally, in 2013, Americans
recycled and composted over 87
million tons of municipal solid
waste. This provides an annual
reduction of more than 186 million
metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent emissions, comparable
to the annual GHG emissions from
over 39 million passenger vehicles.8
EPA analyzes waste by material, such as plastics, or paper and
paperboard, as well as 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).
Materials in MSW
Total MSW generation in 2013 was 254.1 million tons. Figure 5 shows the
breakdown of MSW generation by material. Organic materials such as paper and paperboard, yard trimmings
and food continue to be the largest component of MSW. Paper and paperboard account for 27 percent, and yard
trimmings and food account for another 28.1 percent. Plastics comprise about 13 percent of MSW; metals make
up 9 percent; and rubber, leather and textiles account for another 9 percent. Wood follows at over 6 percent,
and glass at almost 5 percent. Other miscellaneous wastes make up approximately 3 percent of the MSW
generated in 2013.
Total MSW recovery in 2013 was over 87 million tons. Figure 6 shows that in 2013, paper and paperboard
accounted for about 50 percent, and yard trimmings accounted for over 23 percent, while food accounted for
another 2 percent. Metals comprised 9 percent, glass about 4 percent and plastic and wood about 3 percent
each. Other miscellaneous materials made up about 6 percent of MSW recovery.
After MSW recovery through recycling and composting, Amerians discarded almost 167 million tons of MSW in
2013. Food was the largest component of discards at 21 percent. Plastics comprised about 18 percent; paper
and paperboard made up over 15 percent; and rubber, leather and textiles accounted for over 11 percent of
MSW discards. The other materials accounted for less than 10 percent each (see Figure 7).
Americans recycled and composted significant amounts of material from each category in 2013. The highest
recovery rates were achieved in paper and paperboard, yard trimmings and metals. Americans recycled more
than 63 percent of the paper and paperboard generated. Over 20
million tons of yard trimmings were composted (almost a five-fold
increase since 1990). In 2013, over 34 percent of metal was recovered.
Recycling these three materials alone kept over 28 percent of
generated MSW out of landfills and combustion facilities. Recycling
amounts and rates (recovery as a percent of generation) for all
materials in 2013 are listed in Table 1. This table also presents millions
of tons of discarded materials.
Recycling and composting over 87
million tons of MSW saved almost
1.1 quadrillion Btu of energy.
That's the same amount of energy
consumed by over 9.9 million U.S.
households in a year.
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Figure 5. Total MSW Generation
(by material), 2013
254 Million Tons (before recycling)
Figure 6. Total MSW Recovery (by material), 2013
87 Million Tons
Other 3.3%
Rubber, leather
& textiles 9%
Plastics
12.8%
Metals
9.1%
Wood 2.8% Food 2.1%
Figure 7. Total MSW Discards (by material), 2013
167 Million Tons (after recycling and composting)
Paper &
paperboard
15.1%
Yard
trimmings
8.1%
Metals 9.1%
Glass
5%
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Table 1. Generation, Recovery and Discards of Materials in MSW, 2013*
(in millions of tons and percent of generation of each material)
... . . . ... . . . Recovery as ... . . .
„„ . . . Weight Weight _ ' Weight
Material _ * . a . Percent _. y. .
Generated Recovered , _ .. Discarded
of Generation
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
68.60
11.54
17.55
3.50
2.01
23.06
32.52
1.12
15.13
15.77
4.58
178.92
37.06
34.20
3.93
75.19
254.11
43.40
3.15
5.80
0.70
1.37
7.87
3.0
1.24
2.30
2.47
1.31
64.74
1.84
20.6
Negligible
22.44
87.18
63.3%
27.3%
33.0%
20.0%
68.2%
34.1%
9.2%
16.1%
15.2%
15.7%
28.6%
36.2%
5.0%
60.2%
Negligible
29.8%
34.3%
25.20
8.39
11.75
2.80
0.64
15.19
29.52
6.48
12.83
13.30
3.27
114.18
35.22
13.60
3.93
52.75
166.93
* Includes waste from residential, commercial and institutional sources.
t Includes lead from lead-acid batteries.
t 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.
Materials and Products
EPA tracks both materials and products. Materials are what products are made of and will ultimately be what is
recovered and reprocessed in the recycling process. Examples of materials are metals and plastic. Products are what
people buy and handle. Products are manufactured out of materials. Examples include packaging and newspapers.
We track products to learn how people are consuming, using and discarding materials. This information allows us to
target activities that will ultimately maximize the recovery of materials.
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Recycling Trends
Recycling (including composting)
did not exceed 15 percent of
total MSW generation until 1990.
Growth in the recycling rate
was significant over the next 15
years. Over the last five years, the
recycling growth rate has leveled
off.
Products in MSW
The breakdown of the 254 million tons of MSW generated in 2013
by product category follows. Containers and packaging make up the
largest portion of MSW generated: 29.8 percent, or over 75 million
tons. Nondurable and durable goods each make up about 20.3
percent (over 51 million tons) each. Food makes up 14.6 percent (37
million tons), yard trimmings make up 13.5 percent (34 million tons)
and other wastes make up 1.5 percent (4 million tons).
Table 2 show the generation, recovery and discards of materials
in the product categories, by weight and recovery as percent of
generation. This table shows that the recovery of containers and
packaging was the highest of the four product categories, with over
51 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. Over 72 percent of steel packaging (mostly cans) was recycled. The recycling rate for aluminum
packaging was almost 39 percent, including over 55 percent of aluminum beverage cans.
Thirty-four percent of glass containers were recycled, while over 26 percent of wood packaging (mostly wood
pallets) was recovered. Over 14 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 over 31 percent. Recovery of high density polyethylene (HOPE) natural
(white translucent) bottles was also estimated at over 28 percent (see 2013 full report).
Overall recovery of nondurable goods was about 32 percent in 2013. 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. Sixty-seven percent of newspapers/mechanical papers were recovered. Collectively, the
recovery of other paper products such as office paper and magazines was over 41 percent in 2013. 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, 18 percent of durable goods was recovered in 2013. Due to the high rate of lead recovery from lead-
acid batteries, nonferrous metals (other than aluminum) had one of the highest recovery rates. With an almost
99 percent recycling rate, lead-acid batteries continued to be one of the most recovered products. Recovery
of steel in all durable goods was about 27 percent, with high rates of recovery from appliances and other
miscellaneous items. Recovery of selected consumer electronics was about 40 percent (see 2013 full report).
Measured by percentage of generation, products with the highest
recovery rates in 2013 were lead-acid batteries (99 percent), corrugated
boxes (88.5 percent), steel cans (70.6 percent), newspapers/mechanical
papers (67.0 percent), yard trimmings (60.2 percent), major appliances
(58.6 percent), aluminum cans (55.1 percent), mixed paper (41.3 percent),
tires (40.5 percent) and selected consumer electronics (40.4 percent) (see
2013 full report).
Every ton of mixed paper
recycled can save the energy
equivalent of 166 gallons of
gasoline.
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Table 2. Generation, Recovery and Discards of Products in MSW, 2013*
(in millions of tons and percent of generation of each product)
Products
Weight
Generated
Weight
Recovered
Recovery as
Percent of
Generation
Durable goods
Weight
Discarded
Steel
Aluminum
Other non-ferrous metals1"
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
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H
15.15
1.51
2.01
2.28
12.07
6.66
6.31
3.86
1.70
51.55
30.03
6.47
1.06
10.96
3.08
51.60
4.06
Not Available
1.37
Negligible
0.83
1.24
Negligible
0.47
1.31
9.28
14.45
0.13
Negligible
1.83
Negligible
16.41
26.8%
Not Available
68.2%
Negligible
6.9%
18.6%
Negligible
12.2%
77.5%
18.0%
48.1%
2.0%
Negligible
16.7%
Negligible
31.8%
11.09
1.51
0.64
2.28
11.24
5.42
6.31
3.39
0.39
42.27
15.58
6.34
1.06
9.13
3.08
35.19
Containers and packaging
Steel
Aluminum
Glass
Paper and paperboard
Plastics
2.40
1.80
9.26
38.56
13.98
1.74
0.70
3.15
28.95
2.04
72.5%
38.9%
34.0%
75.1%
14.6%
0.66
1.10
6.11
9.61
11.94
(Table 2. Continues)
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Table 2. Generation, Recovery and Discards of Products in MSW, 2013*
(in millions of tons and percent of generation of each product) (Continued)
Products
Weight Weight
Generated Recovered
Recovery as
Percent of
Generation
Weight
Discarded
Wood
Other materials
Total containers and
packaging
9.46
0.31
75.77
2.47
Negligible
39.05
26.1%
Negligible
51.5%
6.99
0.31
36.72
Food, other*
5.0%
35.22
Yard trimmings
34.20
20.60
60.2%
13.60
Miscellaneous inorganic
wastes
Total municipal solid
waste
3.93
Negligible
Negligible
3.93
Total other wastes
75.19
254.11
22.44
87.18
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.
29.8%
34.3%
52.75
166.93
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 11 million tons, from 145.3 million to
134.3 million tons in 2013 (see Table 3).
• The net per capita discard rate to landfills (after recycling, composting and combustion for energy
recovery) was 2.32 pounds per day, lower than the 3.19 per capita rate in 1990 (see Table 4).
• From 1985 to 1995 there was a rapid rise in the cost to manage MSW going to landfills, followed by a
steady decrease from 1995 to 2004. Since 2004, there has been a steady increase in landfill tipping fees
(see Figure 8). The tipping fees are expressed in constant 2013 dollars.
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Table 3. Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, Combustion With Energy Recovery and
Discards of MSW, 1960 to 2013 (in millions of tons)
Activity
Generation
Recovery for
recycling
Recovery for
composting*
Total materials
recovery
Discards after
recovery
Combustion with
energy recoveryt
Discards to
landfill, other
disposal*
1960
88.1
5.6
neg.
5.6
82.5
0.0
82.5
1970
121.1
8.0
neg.
8.0
113.0
0.4
112.6
1980
151.6
14.5
neg.
14.5
137.1
2.7
134.4
1990
208.3
29.0
4.2
33.2
175.0
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
2009
244.6
61.9
20.7
82.6
162.0
29.0
133.0
2011
250.5
66.4
20.6
87.0
163.5
31.8
131.7
2012
251.0
65.3
21.3
86.6
164.4
32.2
132.2
2013
254.1
64.7
22.4
87.2
167.0
32.7
134.3
Composting of yard trimmings, food 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.
neg. Negligible = less than 5,000 tons or 0.05 percent.
Composting Collection Programs910
• About 3,560 community composting programs were documented in 2013—an increase from
3,227 in 2002.
• Food composting collection programs served over 2.7 million households in 2013.
12
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Table 4. Generation, Materials Recovery, Composting, Combustion With Energy Recovery
and Discards of MSW, 1960 to 2013 (in pounds per person per day)
Activity 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2009 2011 2012 2013
Generation
Recovery for
recycling
Recovery for
composting*
Total
2.68
0.17
neg.
0.17
3.25
0.22
neg.
0.22
3.66
0.35
neg.
0.35
4.57
0.64
0.09
0.73
4.74
1.03
0.32
1.35
4.69
1.10
0.38
1.48
4.37
1.10
0.37
1.47
4.41
1.17
0.36
1.53
4.38
1.14
0.37
1.51
4.40
1.12
0.39
1.51
Materials
Recovery
Discards
after
recovery
Combustion
with energy
recoveryt
Discards
to landfill.
other
disposal*
Population
(millions)
2.51
0.00
2.51
179.979
3.03
0.01
3.02
203.984
3.31
0.07
3.24
227.255
3.84
0.65
3.19
249.907
3.39
0.66
2.73
281.422
3.21
0.58
2.63
296.410
2.90
0.52
2.38
307.007
2.88
0.56
2.32
311.592
2.87
0.56
2.31
313.914
2.89
0.57
2.32
316.129
Composting of yard trimmings, food 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.
neg. Negligible = less than 5,000 tons or 0.05 percent.
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Figure 8. National Landfill Tipping Fees, 1982-2013 ($2013 per ton)
60
50
40
OJ
* 30
at
c
'a.
a.
• 20
10
49.21
49.99
43.70
TOT
47 00
45.64 • •
• 43.64 46 !
45.46 • • 45.55
43.55
42,.2-9
149.78
37.65
•
33.04
23.21
19.48
17.75
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010 2013
Year
National mean annual landfill tipping fees normalized to constant $2013 using the consumer price index (CPI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to allow
meaningful comparisons. This figure shows an average increase from 1985 to 1995 of $3.15 per year followed by a steady decrease of $0.77 per year
followed by an increase of $0.83 from 2004 to 2013.
Sources: National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Facts. October 2011. Data from 1985 to 2010. Waste &
Recycling News, 2013 Landfill Tipping Fee Survey. Spring 2013. Data for 2012 and 2013.
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, Americans can each do their part to make recycling
—including composting—work. Aside from reducing GHG emissions, which contribute to global warming,
recycling (including composting) also provides significant economic and job creation impacts.
The energy and GHG benefits of recycling and composting shown in Table 5 are calculated using EPA'sWARM
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 43 million tons resulted in a reduction of 149 MMTC02E in 2013.This is
equivalent to removing 31 million cars from the road in one year.
In 2013, Americans recycled and composted over 87 million tons of MSW.This provides an annual reduction
of more than 186 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, comparable to removing the
emissions from over 39 million passenger vehicles from the road in one year.
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Table 5. Greenhouse Gas Benefits Associated with Recovery of Specific Materials, 2013*
(in millions of tons recovered, MMTC02E and in numbers of cars taken off the road per year)
Material
Weight
Recovered
(millions of
tons)
GHG Benefits Numbers of Cars Taken Off
MMTC02E the Road per Year
Paper and paperboard
Glass
Metals
Steel
Aluminum
Other nonferrous metalst
Total metals
Plastics
Rubber and leather*
Textiles
Wood
Other wastes
Food, otherA
Yard trimmings
43
3.2
5.8
0.7
1.37
7.87
3
1.24
2.3
2.47
1.84
20.6
149
1
9.5
6.4
5.9
21.8
3.6
0.6
5.8
3.8
1.7
1.04
31 million
210 thousand
2 million
1.3 million
1.2 million
4.5 million
760 thousand
127 thousand
1.2 million
798 thousand
308 thousand
220 thousand
Includes materials from residential, commercial and institutional sources.
These calculations do not include an additional 1.32 million tons of MSW recovered that could not be addressed in the WARM model. Recently
WARM assumptions and data have been revised. MMTC02E is million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Includes lead from lead-acid batteries. Other nonferrous metals calculated in WARM as mixed metals.
Recovery only includes rubber from tires.
Includes recovery of other MSW organics for composting.
Source: WARM model (www.epa.gov/warm)
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MSW Generation and Household Spending
Over the years, the change in the amount of MSW generated typically imitated trends in how much money
American households spend on goods and services. Personal Consumer Expenditures (PCE) measure U.S.
household spending on goods and services such as food, clothing, vehicles and recreation services. PCE accounts
for approximately 70 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product, a key indicator of economic growth. PCE adjusted
for inflation is referred to as real PCE.This is a more useful metric in making comparisons overtime because
it normalizes the value of a dollar by considering how much a dollar could purchase in the past versus today.
Figure 9 explores the relationship between MSW generated and real PCE since 1960.
Figure 9 is an indexed graph showing the relative changes in real PCE, MSW generated and MSW generated per
capita over time. It is indexed to allow all three of these metrics to be shown on the same graph and compare
their relative rates of change since 1960. The indexed value indicates the change in the value of the data since
1960. For example, if for a given year the value is three, then the data value for that year would be three times
the 1960 value. In this case, if the 1960 value was 200, then the resulting year's value would be 600. The 2013
MSW per capita generation indexed value is 1.6, which means
MSW per capita generation has increased by 60 percent since 1960.
Figure 9 shows that real PCE has increased at a faster rate than
MSW generation, and the disparity has become even more distinct
since the mid 1990s. This indicates the amount of MSW generated
per dollar spent is falling. In other words, America's economy has
Recycling just one ton of aluminum cans
conserves more than 153 million Btu, the
equivalent of 26 barrels of oil, or 1,234
gallons of gasoline.
Figure 9. Indexed MSW Generated and Real PCE over Time (1960-2013)
§3
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2013
Year
-*- Real PCE -•- MSW Generated -*- MSW Generated per Capita
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been able to enjoy dramatic increases in household spending on consumer goods and services without this
being at the expense of the societal impact of similarly increasing MSW generation rates. This figure also shows
that the MSW generated per capita leveled off in the early-to-mid 2000s and has since fallen. This is important
because as population continues to grow, it will be necessary for MSW generated per capita to continue to fall
to maintain or decrease the total amount of MSW generated as a country.
Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris
Generation Results
C&D debris is a type of waste which is not included in MSW. Materials included in C&D are steel, wood
products, drywall and plaster, brick, clay tile, asphalt shingles, asphalt concrete and Portland cement concrete.
These materials are used in building as well as road and bridge sectors. Our generation estimate represents C&D
amounts from construction, renovation and demolition activities for buildings, roads and bridges.
In 2013, 530 million tons of C&D debris were generated. Figure 10 shows the 2013 generation composition for
C&D. Portland cement concrete is the largest portion (67 percent), followed by asphalt concrete (18 percent).
Wood products make up eight percent and the other products account for seven percent combined. The 2013
generation estimates are presented in more detail in Table 6. As shown in Figure 11, demolition represents over
90 percent of total C&D debris generation as opposed to construction which represents under 10 percent.
Table 7 displays the amount of C&D debris generation from buildings, roads and bridges and other structures
Figure 10. C&D Generation Composition by Material, 2013
530 Million Tons (before recycling)
Asphalt Shingles
2%
Brick and Clay Tile 2%
Steel 1%
Drywall and Plasters
2%
Portland Cement Concrete
67%
17
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Table 6. C&D Debris Generation by Material and Activity (million tons)
Waste During
Construction
Demolition Debris Total C&D Debris
^^^^H
Portland Cement Concrete
Wood Products
Drywall and Plasters
Steel1
Brick and Clay Tile
Asphalt Shingles
Asphalt Concrete
Total
2013
17.5
2.5
3.1
0
0.3
1.0
0
24.4
2013
335.4
37.7
9.9
4.3
11.8
11.6
95.1
505.9
2013
352.9
40.2
13.1
4.3
12.1
12.6
95.1
530.3
Steel consumption in buildings also includes steel consumed for the construction of roads and bridges. Data were not available to allocate steel
consumption across different sources.
Details might not add to totals due to rounding.
Figure 11. Contribution of Construction and Demolition Phases
to Total 2013 C&D Debris Generation
100
80
ra
as
60
40
20
Portland Wood Products Drywall
Cement Concrete and Plasters
Steel
Products
During Construction
Brick and
Clay Tile
Asphalt
Shingles
Asphalt
Concrete
Total
Demolition
18
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for each material. The other structures category includes communication, power, transportation, sewer and
waste disposal, water supply, conservation and development and manufacturing infrastructure. In 2013, roads
and bridges contributed significantly more to C&D debris generation than buildings and other structures, and
Portland cement concrete made up the largest share of C&D debris generation for all three categories.
Table 7. C&D Debris Generation by Source (million tons)
Portland Cement Concrete
Buildings
2013
79.9
Roads and Bridges
2013
148.4
Other
2013
124.5
Wood Products
40.2
Drywall and Plasters
Steel1
4.3
Brick and Clay Tile
Asphalt Shingles
12.6
Asphalt Concrete
95.1
Total
162.2
243.5
124.5
1 Steel consumption in buildings also includes steel consumed for the construction of roads and bridges. Data were not available to allocate steel
consumption across different sources.
Thinking Beyond Waste
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 fewer materials and
products, reducing toxic chemicals and environmental impacts
throughout the material's 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.
Energy Recovered from
Waste Combustion
• In 2013, about 32.7 million tons (12.9
percent) of materials were combusted
for energy recovery.
• MSW combustion for energy recovery
has decreased from about 34 million
tons in 2000 to 32.7 million tons in
2013.
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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. The data on C&D debris generated summarized in
this report is also developed using a materials flow methodology (see Appendix B to full 2013 report).
The benefits of MSW recycling and composting, such as elimination of GHG emissions, are calculated using
EPA's WARM methodology. WARM calculates and totals GHG emissions of baseline and alternative waste
management practices including source reduction, recycling, composting, combustion and landfilling.The model
calculates emissions in metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE), metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
(MTC02E) and energy units (million Btu) across a wide range of material types commonly found in MSW. EPA
developed GHG emissions reduction factors through a life-cycle assessment methodology. Please see: www.epa.
gov/warm.
The full report, Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures 2013, and Summaries of the
MSW characterization methodology and WARM are available on the EPA website along with information about
waste reduction and recycling. Please see:
www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm
www.epa.gov/recycle
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Endnotes
3.
Circular Advantage: Innovative Business Models and Technologies to Create Value in a World without Limits to Growth. Accenture (2014).
http://www.accenture.com/us-en/Pages/insight-circular-advantage-innovative-business-models-value-growth.aspx
Decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth. A Report of the Working Group on Decoupling to the International
Resource Panel. Fischer-Kowalski, M., M. Swilling, E.U.von Weizsacker, Y. Ren.Y. Moriguchi, W. Crane, F. Krausmann, N. Eisenmenger, S. Giljum, P. Hennicke,
P. Romero Lankao, A. Siriban Manalang, S. Sewerin, S, United Nations Environment Programme (2011). http://www.unep.org/resourcepanel/decoupling/files/
pdf/decoupling_repo rt_english.pdf
Idem.
4. Resource Productivity in the G8 and the OECD:A Report in the Framework of the Kobe 3R Action Plan. OECD. http://www.oecd.org/env/waste/
resourceproductivityintheg8andtheoecd.htm
5. Weight of Nations: Material Outflows from Industrial Economies. World Resources Institute (2000). http://pdf.wri.org/weight_of_nations.pdf
6. "Recycling Take-Away Facts." The Aluminum Association. Last modified 2015. http://www.aluminum.org/industries/production/recycling
7. "Ninety-six Percent of Americans Have Access to Community Paper Recycling."American Forest & Paper Association Media (2015). http://www.afandpa.org/
media/news/2015/03/10/ninety-six-percent-of-americans-have-access-to-community-paper-recycling
8. All benefit calculations in the fact sheet are derived from WARM. Recently WARM assumptions and data have been revised, resulting in higher annual
benefits related to recycling and composting. Source: Waste Reduction Model (WARM). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Last modified March 2015.
www.epa.gov/warm.
9. Source for 2002 community composting program data: "The State of Garbage In America." Simmons, Phil, Scott M. Kaufman, and NickolasJ.Themelis.
BioCycle 47, no. 4, p. 26 (2006). Sources for 2013 data: "State of Composting in the U.S.:What, Why, Where & How." Institute for Local Self-Reliance (2014);
Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures 2013. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2015). www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/
municipal/msw99.htm
10. Sources for food composting collection programs: "Residential Food Waste Collection in the U.S.— BioCycle Nationwide Survey." Supplemental tables.
BioCycle 54, no. 3, p. 23 (2013); Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures 2013. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2015).
www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm
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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
EPA530-R-15-003
June 2015
www.epa.gov/wastes
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