Municipal Solid Waste in the U.S. - statistics & facts

Waste management methods in the United States are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). It encourages the environmental departments of each state to develop plans to manage municipal solid waste. Waste management includes all activities and actions required to manage waste from its source to its final disposal. It encompasses the collection, transport, treatment, and disposal of waste. Municipal solid waste is commonly known as everyday garbage and trash produced by households, commercial, and institutional entities.

MSW generation in the U.S.

The United States accounts for roughly four percent of the global population, but it is responsible for 12 percent of global municipal solid waste generation. In 2018, the total generation of MSW in the U.S. reached a high of 292 million tons, which equated to 4.9 pounds of MSW per capita per day. Increased population and urbanization - in addition to a rising throw-away culture influenced by consumerism - has seen U.S. waste generation increase dramatically over the years, growing by 40 percent since 1990. Paper and paperboard products represent the largest share of all waste materials that enter the U.S. MSW stream, and has done for many decades. This is followed by food waste, which has been increasing more and more in recent years. It is estimated that the average U.S. household produces 19.36 metric tons of food waste per year, which is one of the highest amounts worldwide.

MSW disposal methods

With such vast quantities of waste generated each year, proper waste disposal is needed to keep environments clean and protect our health. There are a number of waste disposal methods available in the U.S, including landfilling, incineration, and recycling. Recycling in the U.S. has increased considerably since it first began in the 1960, and as of 2018 accounted for approximately 24 percent of MSW disposals. Despite the increased use of recycling to deal with waste, landfilling is still the main treatment method in the country, and accounts for 50 percent of disposals. Of the 146 million tons of landfilled MSW in 2018, a quarter was food waste. There are currently more than 1,200 MSW landfill sites in the U.S. 26 percent of managed landfill volume in the U.S. is managed by Waste Management Inc – the largest U.S. waste management company.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.

U.S. share of global MSW generation: 11.65%

MSW generation worldwide: 2.02bn mt

Most common MSW disposal method worldwide: Open dump

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Waste Management

Leading waste management companies in the United States 2022, by revenue

Municipal solid waste generation in the United States from 1960 to 2018, by way of disposal (in million metric tons)

Waste Management

Municipal solid waste disposal by methods in the U.S. 1960-2018

Average cost to landfill municipal solid waste in the United States in 2020 and 2021, by region (in U.S. dollars per ton)

Waste Disposal

Price of landfilling municipal waste in the U.S. 2020-2021, by region

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Overview

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Generation

Basic Statistic Municipal solid waste generation in the U.S. 1960-2018
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Landfill

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Recycling

Basic Statistic Recycling of municipal solid waste in the U.S. 1960-2018
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Companies

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Key figures

The most important key figures provide you with a compact summary of the topic of "Municipal Solid Waste in the U.S." and take you straight to the corresponding statistics.

U.S. MSW generation
292.4m t
Detailed statistics
Municipal solid waste generation in the U.S. 1960-2018
U.S. MSW generation per capita
4.9 lbs/day
Detailed statistics
Per capita municipal solid waste generation in the U.S. 1960-2018
Most generated MSW material in the U.S.
Paper & paperboard
Detailed statistics
Breakdown of municipal waste materials generated in the U.S. 2018, by type

Share of MSW landfilled in the U.S.
50%
Detailed statistics
Municipal solid waste disposal methods in the U.S. 2018
Volume of plastics landfilled in the U.S.
26.97m t
Detailed statistics
Municipal solid waste landfilled in the U.S. 1960-2018, by material
Most landfilled MSW material in the U.S.
Food
Detailed statistics
Breakdown of landfilled municipal solid waste materials in the U.S. 2018, by type

Volume of recycled municipal solid waste in the U.S.
69m t
Detailed statistics
Recycling of municipal solid waste in the U.S. 1960-2018
U.S. recycling rate of MSW
32.1%
Detailed statistics
Recycling rate of municipal solid waste in the United States 1960-2018
Most recycled MSW material in the U.S.
Paper & paperboard
Detailed statistics
Breakdown of MSW recycled in the U.S. 2018, by material

Leading waste management company in the U.S.
Waste Management, Inc
Detailed statistics
Leading waste management companies in the United States 2022, by revenue
Waste Management Inc's revenue 2021
19.7bn USD
Detailed statistics
Waste Management Inc's operating revenue 2007-2022
Republic Services revenue
13.51bn USD
Detailed statistics
Republic Services operating revenue 2010-2022