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Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States
2007 Facts and Figures
This fact sheet is the latest publication describing the national waste stream based on data collected from 1960 through 2007. It contains information on the benefits of recycling, as well as data on waste generation, recycling, and disposal. It's also accompanied by data tables that present detailed data that is produced each year. This year, it also includes a summary of our methodology for developing this data.
The full report incorporating these data tables is produced every other year. The most current edition contains 2007 data:
- MSW generation, recovery, and disposal from 1960 to 2007;
- Per capita generation and discard rates;
- Source reduction (waste prevention);
- Materials (e.g., paper, glass, metals, plastic) that comprise MSW,
as well as products
(e.g., durable and nondurable goods, containers, packaging) found in the waste stream;
- Aggregate data on the infrastructure for MSW management, including
estimates of the
number of curbside recycling programs, composting programs, and landfills in the U.S.; and
- Trends in MSW management from 1960 to 2007, including source reduction,
recovery
for recycling (including composting), and disposal via combustion and landfilling.
EPA plans to update the full report every two years.
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
- Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2007 (PDF) (177 pp, 5.8MB)
- Fact Sheet 2007 (PDF) (12 pp, 506K)
- Methodology for MSW Characterization Numbers (PDF) (12 pp, 65K)
- Methodology for Estimating MSW Recycling Benefits (PDF) (11 pp, 101K)
For additional information on the recycling benefits developed through the Waste Reduction Model (WARM), see Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases: A Life-Cycle Assessment of Emissions and Sinks.
MSW Characterization Reports from Previous Years
- 2006 Facts and Figures (PDF) (11 pp, 882K)
- 2006 Data Tables (PDF) (56 pp, 2.4MB)
- 2005 (PDF) (164 pp, 2.5MB)
- 2005 Fact Sheet (PDF) (12 pp, 532K)
- 2003 Facts and Figures (PDF) (12 pp, 626K)
- 2003 Data Tables (PDF) (40 pp, 7MB)
- 2001 Fact Sheet (PDF) (183 pp, 850K)
- 2000 (PDF) (177 pp, 842K)
- 1999 (PDF) (144 pp, 425K)
- 1998 (PDF) (167 pp, 924K)
- 1998 Data Tables (PDF) (36 pp, 153K)
- 1997 (PDF) (182 pp, 560K)
- 1996 (PDF) (168 pp, 515K)
- 1995 (PDF) (144 pp, 299K)
