Bruna Alves
Research lead covering environment and sustainability
Waste management in the U.S - statistics & facts
The U.S. is known as the land of mass consumption, and all of the leftover eventually ends up in the same place: the trash can. Everything about the waste management sector in the U.S. is big. Americans are among the largest waste producers worldwide, and the nation is home to the world’s biggest landfill site. The sector generated revenue of over 140 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, with titans like Waste Management Inc. and Republic Services among the biggest worldwide. But despite its size, the sector still struggles with funding and sustainability.
Waste management in the U.S. is a multibillion-dollar industry. Nevertheless, the majority of waste generated in the country still ends up in landfills or is improperly managed. Lack of data and insufficient funds are some of the main challenges the sector will have to face on the road toward becoming more sustainable.
Municipal solid waste disposal
Data for municipal waste generation and management in the U.S. is scarce. According to the latest available data, municipal waste generation in the country more than tripled between 1960 and 2018, nearing 300 million tons in the latter year. Although MSW recycling rates in the U.S. have increased considerably in the period, progress stalled in the past decade, averaging just above 30 percent. Meanwhile, around half of all municipal waste generated is disposed of in landfills. As of 2024, Apex Regional, located just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, was the largest landfill in the U.S., with a design capacity of roughly one billion metric tons. Operated by Republic Services, it entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2020 as the world’s largest landfill by area. It is expected to remain in operation for at least another 250 years.Hazardous waste management
Federal regulations require large quantity hazardous waste generators, meaning those whose sites generate 1,000 kilograms or more in any calendar month, to submit a report every two years regarding the waste generated at their facilities. In 2021, roughly 38 million tons of hazardous waste were managed in the U.S., up from 35 million tons two years earlier. As of June 2024, there were more than 1,000 hazardous waste sites in the country's National Priority List for cleanup, with the highest numbers found in the states of New Jersey, California, and Pennsylvania. These highly contaminated sites are often referred to as “Superfund sites” and include landfills or mines where toxic waste has been dumped or improperly managed. After many years of underfunding, the past three years saw a new wave of financial support for the Superfund program through provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act.Leading waste management companies
Many of the largest waste management companies worldwide are based in the U.S. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Waste Management Inc. generated revenue of over 20 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, a four percent year-over-year growth. Through its subsidiaries, the company operates a large network of landfills and waste management services across the U.S. and Canada. Meanwhile, Arizona-based Republic Services generated revenue of 15 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. Combined, the two companies account for half of the landfill volume managed in the U.S.Waste management in the U.S. is a multibillion-dollar industry. Nevertheless, the majority of waste generated in the country still ends up in landfills or is improperly managed. Lack of data and insufficient funds are some of the main challenges the sector will have to face on the road toward becoming more sustainable.
