Plastic waste managed in the U.S. 2018-2021, by method and scenario
In 2021, an estimated 40.1 to 51 million tons of plastic waste were generated in the United States. For both these estimates, just 2.4 million tons were of that amount were recycled, accounting for between five and six percent of total plastic waste managed. The majority of U.S. plastic waste is landfilled, with between 32 and 43 million tons sent to landfill sites in 2021. This accounted for more than 80 percent of plastic waste management that year.
