Share of plastic waste management in the U.S. 2018-2021, by method and scenario
In 2021, around 80 to 84 percent of plastic waste in the United States was estimated to be sent to landfills. In comparison, the recycling rate of plastic waste in the country was estimated at between five and six percent in that year - a decrease compared with the recycling rate in 2018. Plastic waste exports (which counts towards recycling rates) were estimated to account for between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of waste management in 2021.
