The United States recycled 69.1 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2018. Of this total, plastics accounted for 4.4 percent. The material that represented the largest share of recycling was paper and paperboard, at 66.6 percent.
Distribution of municipal solid waste recycled in the U.S. in 2018, by material
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Statistics on Recycling in the U.S.
Overview
5
- Premium Statistic Global municipal waste recycling rate 2021, by select country
- Premium Statistic Market value of waste recycling services worldwide 2020-2030
- Basic Statistic Municipal solid waste generation in the U.S. 1960-2018
- Basic Statistic U.S. municipal waste stream: materials generation 1960-2018
- Premium Statistic U.S. households with access to curbside recycling services 2019, by type
Generation
5
- Basic Statistic Recycling of municipal solid waste in the U.S. 1960-2018
- Premium Statistic U.S. composting of municipal solid waste generated 1990-2018
- Premium Statistic U.S. municipal solid waste recycling per person 1960-2018
- Premium Statistic Recycled municipal solid waste in the U.S. 1960-2018, by material
- Premium Statistic Breakdown of curbside recyclable trash generation per U.S. household 2019, by type
Segments
7
- Basic Statistic Breakdown of MSW recycled in the U.S. 2018, by material
- Premium Statistic Recycling of paper and paperboard from U.S. municipal solid waste 2018, by type
- Basic Statistic Volume of plastic MSW recycled in the U.S. 2018, by type
- Premium Statistic U.S. sourced post-consumer plastic recovered for recycling 2019-2020, by category
- Premium Statistic Share of recycled-non bottle rigid plastic in the U.S. 2020, by source
- Premium Statistic Plastic containers and packaging MSW recycled in the U.S. 1980-2018
- Premium Statistic Plastic packaging MSW recycled in the U.S. 1980-2018, by product
Recycling rates
7
- Basic Statistic Recycling rate of municipal solid waste in the United States 1960-2018
- Premium Statistic Recycling rates in the U.S. by select product 2018
- Basic Statistic Recycling rate of paper in the United States 1990-2021
- Premium Statistic Share of containers and packaging MSW recycled in U.S. 1960-2018
- Premium Statistic Recycled rate of metals in the U.S. 2019, by type
- Premium Statistic Recycling rate of plastic municipal solid waste in the U.S. 1960-2018
- Premium Statistic Plastic packaging MSW recycling rates in the U.S. 1980-2018, by product
Companies
6
- Premium Statistic Leading waste management companies in the United States 2022, by revenue
- Basic Statistic Waste Management Inc's recycling revenue 2015-2022
- Premium Statistic Waste Management Inc.'s recycled materials 2021, by type
- Premium Statistic Recycling revenue of Waste Connections, Inc. 2015-2021
- Basic Statistic Revenue of Republic Services' recycling processing and commodity sales 2016-2021
- Premium Statistic U.S. sourced post-consumer plastic purchased by U.S. and Canada 2019, by category
Further related statistics
19
- Volume of municipal waste recycled in the U.S. 2018, by material
- Global development of new MSW treatment facilities by type 2014
- U.S. waste stream from agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting by material 2014
- U.S. per capita municipal waste recovered for composting 1990-2013
- U.S. waste stream from real estate, rental and leasing by material 2014
- U.S. waste stream from construction 2014, by material
- U.S. waste stream from manufacturing by material 2014
- U.S. recycling program availability for beverage containers by material 2016
- CO2 emissions avoided by waste management activities in England 2011-2012
- U.S. brick debris discarded during construction & demolition 2000-2013
- Texas's share of disposed municipal solid waste by type 2015
- Global collection rate of municipal solid waste by income group 2016
- U.S. municipal solid waste - durable goods recovery 2014
- U.S. food scraps, yard trimmings and other MSW waste generated 2018
- Industry revenue of “manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork“ in Vietnam 2012-2024
- Types of material laundry organizers were made out of in the U.S. 2015
- Volume of exported materials from Turkey in 2015, by material type
- Industry revenue of "Manufacture of products of wood, cork, straw & plaiting materials" in India 2012-2024
- Industry revenue of “manufacture of products of wood, cork, straw and plaiting materials“ in the Philippines 2012-2024
Further Content: You might find this interesting as well
Statistics
- Volume of municipal waste recycled in the U.S. 2018, by material
- Global development of new MSW treatment facilities by type 2014
- U.S. waste stream from agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting by material 2014
- U.S. per capita municipal waste recovered for composting 1990-2013
- U.S. waste stream from real estate, rental and leasing by material 2014
- U.S. waste stream from construction 2014, by material
- U.S. waste stream from manufacturing by material 2014
- U.S. recycling program availability for beverage containers by material 2016
- CO2 emissions avoided by waste management activities in England 2011-2012
- U.S. brick debris discarded during construction & demolition 2000-2013
- Texas's share of disposed municipal solid waste by type 2015
- Global collection rate of municipal solid waste by income group 2016
- U.S. municipal solid waste - durable goods recovery 2014
- U.S. food scraps, yard trimmings and other MSW waste generated 2018
- Industry revenue of “manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork“ in Vietnam 2012...
- Types of material laundry organizers were made out of in the U.S. 2015
- Volume of exported materials from Turkey in 2015, by material type
- Industry revenue of "Manufacture of products of wood, cork, straw & plaiting materials" in...
- Industry revenue of “manufacture of products of wood, cork, straw and plaiting materials“...
Environmental Protection Agency. (January 23, 2021). Distribution of municipal solid waste recycled in the U.S. in 2018, by material [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 29, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228411/municipal-solid-waste-recycling-breakdown-by-material-us/
Environmental Protection Agency. "Distribution of municipal solid waste recycled in the U.S. in 2018, by material ." Chart. January 23, 2021. Statista. Accessed May 29, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228411/municipal-solid-waste-recycling-breakdown-by-material-us/
Environmental Protection Agency. (2021). Distribution of municipal solid waste recycled in the U.S. in 2018, by material . Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 29, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228411/municipal-solid-waste-recycling-breakdown-by-material-us/
Environmental Protection Agency. "Distribution of Municipal Solid Waste Recycled in The U.S. in 2018, by Material ." Statista, Statista Inc., 23 Jan 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228411/municipal-solid-waste-recycling-breakdown-by-material-us/
Environmental Protection Agency, Distribution of municipal solid waste recycled in the U.S. in 2018, by material Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228411/municipal-solid-waste-recycling-breakdown-by-material-us/ (last visited May 29, 2023)
Distribution of municipal solid waste recycled in the U.S. in 2018, by material [Graph], Environmental Protection Agency, January 23, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228411/municipal-solid-waste-recycling-breakdown-by-material-us/