How Much Garbage Does a Family Produce in a Week
On this page:
- The Electric current National Picture
- Generation
- Recycling
- Composting/Other Nutrient Management
- Combustion with Free energy Recovery
- Landfilling
- Trends - 1960 to Today
- Generation Trends
- Recycling and Composting Trends
- Other Food Management Trends
- Recycling, Composting and Other Nutrient Management Trends Specific to 2015-2018
- Greenhouse Gas Benefits
The Electric current National Picture
EPA began collecting and reporting data on the generation and disposition of waste in the United States more 35 years agone. The Agency uses this information to measure the success of materials direction programs across the country and to characterize the national waste stream. These Facts and Figures are current through calendar twelvemonth 2018.
The full generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2018 was 292.iv million tons (U.South. short tons, unless specified) or four.9 pounds per person per mean solar day. Of the MSW generated, approximately 69 million tons were recycled and 25 1000000 tons were composted. Together, most 94 million tons of MSW were recycled and composted, equivalent to a 32.1 percent recycling and composting rate. An additional 17.vii meg tons of food were managed past other methods. Other nutrient direction includes the following management pathways: animal feed, bio-based materials/biochemical processing, co-digestion/anaerobic digestion, donation, country application and sewer/wastewater handling. For more data on food direction, run into Nutrient: Material-Specific Information. In addition, nearly 35 million tons of MSW (eleven.8 percent) were combusted with free energy recovery and more than 146 million tons of MSW (fifty percent) were landfilled.
EPA refers to trash, or MSW, as various items consumers throw away later on they are used. These items include bottles and corrugated boxes, nutrient, grass clippings, sofas, computers, tires and refrigerators. However, MSW does not include everything that may be landfilled at the local level, such as construction and demolition (C&D) droppings, municipal wastewater sludge, and other not-hazardous industrial wastes. While the analysis in Facts and Figures focuses primarily on MSW, EPA has been including estimates of C&D generation and management as a separate non-hazardous waste material stream in recent years.
*MSW generation rose considerably from 2017 to 2018 mainly because EPA enhanced its food measurement methodology to more fully account for all the means wasted food is managed throughout the nutrient arrangement.
Management of MSW continues to be a high priority for land and local governments. This includes the source reduction of wastes before they enter the waste matter stream and the recovery of generated waste for recycling, composting or other methods. Information technology also includes environmentally sound waste management through combustion with energy recovery and conversion, besides equally landfilling practices that meet current standards or newly emerging waste material conversion technologies.
EPA developed the not-chancy materials and waste management hierarchy in recognition that no single waste matter management approach is suitable for managing all materials and waste streams in all circumstances. The bureaucracy ranks the various management strategies from most to least environmentally preferred. The hierarchy places emphasis on reducing, reusing, and recycling equally central to sustainable materials management.
Generation
The full generation of MSW in 2018 was 292.iv meg tons, which was approximately 23.7 million tons more the amount generated in 2017. This is an increase from the 268.7 million tons generated in 2017 and the 208.3 1000000 tons in 1990.
*MSW generation rose considerably from 2017 to 2018 mainly because EPA enhanced its nutrient measurement methodology to more fully account for all the ways wasted food is managed throughout the food arrangement.
Municipal Solid Waste product Management: 1960-2018
Per capita MSW generation increased from 4.5 pounds per person per day in 2017 to 4.nine pounds per person per day in 2018. The increase from 2017 to 2018 is mainly the result of EPA'due south inclusion of additional wasted food management pathways. See Food: Textile-Specific Data.
Paper and paperboard products made upwardly the largest percent of all the materials in MSW, at 23.1 percent of total generation. Generation of newspaper and paperboard products declined from 87.7 million tons in 2000 to 67.iv million tons in 2018. Generation of newspapers has been failing since 2000, and this trend is expected to keep, partly due to decreased page size, but mainly due to the increased digitization of news. The generation of office-type (high grade) papers likewise has been in reject, due at to the lowest degree partially to activities such as the increased use of the electronic transmission of reports. Paper and paperboard products have ranged between 28.4 and 23.1 percent of generation since 2010.
Food waste material comprised the fourth largest fabric category, estimated at 63.1 million tons or 21.6 percent of total generation in 2018. Yard trimmings comprised the adjacent largest fabric category, estimated at 35.four million tons, or 12.1 percent of total generation, in 2018. This compares to 35 meg tons (xvi.eight percent of total generation) in 1990. The decline in yard trimmings generation since 1990 is largely due to state legislation discouraging yard trimmings disposal in landfills, including source reduction measures such as lawn composting and leaving grass trimmings on the yard.
In 2018, plastic products generation was 35.vii million tons, or 12.two percent of generation. This was an increase of 4.3 million tons from 2010 to 2018, and it came from durable appurtenances and the containers and packaging categories. Plastics generation has grown from 8.2 percentage of generation in 1990 to 12.2 percent in 2018. Plastics generation as a percent of full generation has varied from 12.two to 13.ii percent over the past eight years.
In 2018, two.7 million tons of selected consumer electronics were generated, representing less than 1 percent of MSW generation. Selected consumer electronics include products such equally TVs, VCRs, DVD players, video cameras, stereo systems, telephones and computer equipment.
Recycling
The total MSW recycled was more than than 69 meg tons, with paper and paperboard accounting for approximately 67 percent of that amount. Metals comprised about 13 percentage, while glass, plastic and wood made up between 4 and 5 percent.
Measured by tonnage, the most-recycled products and materials in 2018 were corrugated boxes (32.1 million tons), mixed nondurable paper products (8.8 million tons), newspapers/mechanical papers (3.iii meg tons), lead-acid batteries (two.9 one thousand thousand tons), major appliances (3.1 meg tons), woods packaging (iii.1 million tons), drinking glass containers (iii million tons), tires (2.six million tons), mixed newspaper containers and packaging (i.8 million tons) and selected consumer electronics (1 million tons). Collectively, these products accounted for 90 percent of total MSW recycling in 2018.
Check out our Reduce, Reuse, Recycle spider web area for more than information on recycling.
Composting/Other Food Direction
The total MSW composted was 25 million tons. This included approximately 22.3 million tons of g trimmings (more a five-fold increment since 1990) and 2.6 million tons of nutrient waste (4.1 percent of generation of wasted food).
Other methods of food management were estimated for the start time in 2018. In 2018, 17.vii one thousand thousand tons of food (28.i percentage of generation of wasted food) was managed through animal feed, co-digestion/anaerobic digestion, bio-based materials/biochemical processing, donation, land awarding and sewer/wastewater treatment.
Combustion with Free energy Recovery
Cheque out our Energy Recovery from the Combustion of Municipal Solid Waste matter (MSW) page for more data.
In 2018, 34.vi million tons of MSW were combusted with free energy recovery. Nutrient made upwards the largest component of MSW combusted at approximately 22 percent. Rubber, leather and textiles accounted for over xvi percent of MSW combustion. Plastics comprised most 16 percent, and paper and paperboard made upwardly about 12 per centum. The other materials accounted for less than 10 percent each.
Landfilling
In 2018, most 146.1 1000000 tons of MSW were landfilled. Food was the largest component at about 24 percentage. Plastics deemed for over 18 percent, paper and paperboard made upward near 12 percent, and rubber, leather and textiles comprised over 11 percent. Other materials accounted for less than 10 percent each.
Trends – 1960 to Today
In 2018, the corporeality of MSW generated was 292.4 million tons. The amount of MSW recycled was 69.0 one thousand thousand tons and the corporeality composted was 24.nine 1000000 tons. About 17.seven meg tons of nutrient were managed by other methods. The amount of MSW combusted with energy recovery was 34.6 million tons, while the amount of MSW sent to landfills was 146.2 million tons. Presented below are details of these trends:
- Over the last few decades, the generation and management of MSW has changed essentially. Generation of MSW increased (except in recession years) from 88.1 million tons in 1960 to 292.iv million tons in 2018. Generation decreased i percent between 2005 and 2010, followed by a ascension in generation of vii percent from 2010 to 2017. Generation rose from 268.seven million tons to 292.4 million tons in 2018, mainly as a result of EPA'due south inclusion of boosted food direction pathways.
- The generation charge per unit in 1960 was just 2.68 pounds per person per day. Information technology increased to 3.66 pounds per person per 24-hour interval in 1980. In 2000, information technology reached 4.74 pounds per person per mean solar day and then decreased to 4.69 pounds per person per day in 2005. The generation rate was 4.ix pounds per person per solar day in 2018, an viii pct increase from 2017. The increment from 2017 to 2018 is mainly the result of EPA'due south inclusion of boosted wasted food management pathways.
- Over fourth dimension, recycling and composting rates take increased from just over 6 percent of MSW generated in 1960 to about 10 pct in 1980, to xvi per centum in 1990, to nearly 29 percentage in 2000, and to about 35 percent in 2017. Information technology decreased to 32.i per centum in 2018.
- The amount of MSW combusted with free energy recovery increased from nil in 1960 to 14 percentage in 1990. In 2018, it was about 12 per centum.
- Landfilling of waste has decreased from 94 per centum of the amount generated in 1960 to 50 percent of the amount generated in 2018.
*MSW generation rose considerably from 2017 to 2018 mainly because EPA enhanced its food measurement methodology to more fully account for all the ways wasted food is managed throughout the nutrient system.
Generation Trends
The generation of paper and paperboard, the largest material component of MSW, fluctuates from year to year, merely has decreased from 87.7 one thousand thousand tons in 2000 to 67.4 1000000 tons in 2018. Generation of thou trimmings and food waste matter has increased since 2000. Generation of other material categories fluctuates from year to year, but overall MSW generation increased from 1960 to 2005, with the trend reversing from 2005 to 2010, and rising once more from 2010 through 2018.
Recycling and Composting Trends
In percentage of full MSW generation, recycling (including composting) did non exceed 15 percent until 1990. Growth in the recycling rate was significant over the adjacent 15 years, spanning until 2005. The recycling charge per unit grew more than slowly over the last few years. The 2018 recycling rate was 32.ane pct.
The recycling and composting rates (as a percentage of generation) of the beneath materials in MSW has generally increased over the concluding 58 years. See the table below for examples.
| 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper and Paperboard | 17% | 15% | 21% | 28% | 43% | 50% | 63% | 67% | 66% | 68% |
| Glass | 2% | 1% | 5% | twenty% | 23% | 21% | 27% | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| Plastics | Neg. | Neg. | <one% | 2% | 6% | half-dozen% | 8% | 9% | ix% | 9% |
| Yard Trimmings | Neg. | Neg. | Neg. | 12% | 52% | 62% | 58% | 61% | 69% | 63% |
| Lead-acid Batteries | Neg. | 76% | 70% | 97% | 93% | 96% | 99% | 99% | 99% | 99% |
"Neg." means less than 5,000 tons or 0.05 percent.
The rate of yard trimmings composting was negligible in 1980, rose to 12 percent in 1990 and 52 percent in 2000. In 2005 it was 62 percentage, in 2017 it was 69 pct, and in 2018 it was 63 percent.
Nutrient composting was negligible in 1990, rose to two.2 percent (680,000 tons) in 2000, v.three percent (2.1 million tons) in 2015 and six.iii percent (two.6 million tons) in 2017. In 2018 the food composting rate was 4.1 percent (2.vi million tons). Due to a change in methodology, in that location was an increase in the wasted nutrient generation estimate between 2017 and 2018, which resulted in a lower composting rate even though the tons composted remained the same from 2017 to 2018.
Other Food Management Trends
Other nutrient management pathways, estimated for the first time in 2018, was 17.7 meg tons (28.i per centum of wasted food generation). These management pathways include brute feed, codigestion/anaerobic digestion, bio-based materials/biochemical processing, donation, land awarding and sewer/wastewater treatment. Run into the Food: Material-Specific Information web page.
Recycling, Composting and Other Food Management Trends Specific to 2015-2018
Included in the generation number are the virtually 94 million tons of MSW recycled and composted and an additional 17.vii meg tons of other food management in 2018. The post-obit provides a detailed breakup of the numbers:
- 69 million tons of MSW were recycled in 2018, a two.2 percent increase from the 67.half-dozen million tons recycled in 2015.
- There was an increment from 23.4 meg to 24.9 1000000 tons of nutrient and yard trimmings composted between 2015 and 2018.
- The recycling rate (including composting) was 32.1 percent in 2018, down from 34.7 per centum in 2015.
- The per capita rates in 2018 were:
- ane.16 pounds per person per twenty-four hour period for recycling.
- 0.42 pounds per person per 24-hour interval for composting.
- 0.30 pounds per person per solar day for other food management.
Listed here are the recycling or composting rates for 3 categories of materials, including paper and paperboard, yard trimmings, and nutrient:
- In 2018, the rate of paper and paperboard recycling was 68.two percentage (46.0 1000000 tons), upwardly from 65.nine per centum in 2017 (44.ii million tons), and up from 42.8 percent in 2000.
- The charge per unit of chiliad trimmings composted in 2018 was 63 percent (22.three meg tons), down from 69.4 percentage (24.4 1000000 tons) in 2017. The rate of yard trimmings composted in 2000 was 51.vii pct .
- In 2018, the rate of food and other MSW organics composting was four.one percentage (two.6 million tons). Although this is down from 6.3 percentage in 2017, the tons composted remained the aforementioned betwixt 2017 and 2018 (2.half-dozen 1000000 tons). Due to a change in methodology, there was an increment in the wasted food generation gauge betwixt 2017 and 2018, which results in a lower composting rate fifty-fifty though the tons composted remained the same from 2017 to 2018. The rate of food composting was 2.2 percentage in the year 2000 (.7 1000000 tons).
Greenhouse Gas Benefits
EPA's written report Sustainable Materials Direction: The Road Ahead serves equally the foundation for the EPA SMM Program. The recommendations and analytical framework under the Route Ahead encourage the consideration of multiple ecology benefits when developing materials direction strategies. Currently, EPA has a tool for estimating greenhouse gas reductions resulting from sustainable materials management – the Waste Reduction Model (WARM). This department shows those GHG reduction environmental benefits. The Agency is developing additional tools to provide information on other environmental benefits and volition include these tools and data as they become available.
In 2018, the recycling, composting, combustion with energy recovery and landfilling of MSW saved over 193 meg metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2Due east). This is comparable to the emissions that could be reduced from taking almost 42 one thousand thousand cars off the road in a twelvemonth.
Newspaper and paperboard recycling, at most 46 million tons, resulted in the largest portion of the total MSW reduction over 155 MMTCO2E in 2018. This reduction is equivalent to removing over 33 million cars from the road for one year.
The energy and GHG benefits of recycling, composting, combustion with energy recovery and landfilling shown in the table below are calculated using the WARM methodology. The estimates of MMTCO2E are calculated using WARM, and identify not only the ecology benefits of recycling, composting and combustion for energy recovery, merely besides the do good of non landfilling materials. Numbers in parentheses indicate a reduction in either greenhouse gases or vehicles, and therefore correspond ecology benefits.
| Cloth | Recycled | Composted | Combustion with Energy Recovery | Landfilled | GHG Benefits (MMTCO2E) | Motorcoach Emissions/Year (millions of cars) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper and Paperboard | 45.97 | - | 4.xx | 17.22 | (155.17) | (33.52) |
| Glass | 3.06 | - | one.64 | vii.55 | (0.90) | (0.19) |
| Steel | half dozen.36 | - | 2.31 | x.53 | (xv.fifty) | (iii.35) |
| Aluminum | 0.67 | - | 0.56 | two.66 | (vi.12) | (1.32) |
| Other Nonferrous Metals** | 1.69 | - | 0.08 | 0.74 | (seven.54) | (1.63) |
| Full Metals | eight.72 | - | two.95 | thirteen.93 | (29.sixteen) | (6.30) |
| Plastics | 3.09 | - | five.62 | 26.97 | 4.13 | 0.89 |
| Safe and Leather† | 1.67 | - | 1.73 | 0.78 | 0.17 | 0.04 |
| Textiles | ii.51 | - | iii.22 | 11.30 | (2.56) | (0.55) |
| Woods | 3.x | - | 2.84 | 12.xv | (3.30) | (0.71) |
| Food, Other‡ | - | two.59 | 7.55 | 35.28 | (6.97) | (one.51) |
| G Trimmings | - | 22.thirty | 2.57 | x.53 | 0.78 | 0.17 |
| Miscellaneous Inorganic Wastes | - | - | 0.80 | 3.27 | (0.28) | (0.06) |
| Totals | 68.12 | 24.89 | 33.12 | 138.98 | (193.26) | (41.74) |
*Includes material from residential, commercial and institutional sources (except not industrial procedure waste).
**Includes lead-acrid batteries. Other nonferrous metals are calculated in WARM as mixed metals.
†Only includes prophylactic from tires.
‡Includes collection of other MSW organics for composting.
These calculations do not include an additional 24.ix million tons of MSW that could not be addressed in the WARM model (including 17.7 meg tons from food waste managed past means exterior of the telescopic of the WARM model). MMTCO2E is meg metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Details might non add to totals due to rounding.
Source: WARM model Version 15. Number of cars taken off the road/year was calculated using the Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator, updated March 2020.
Source: https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials
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