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Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Weights by Category

Table A1.    xls   pdf   format
Table A1. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Weights by Category, 1989-2005
(Million Tons)
Discards 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Textiles 4.87 5.15 5.3 5.48 5.64 5.8 6.5 6.7 7.1 7.5 7.9 8.1 8.4 8.74 9.08 9.24 9.4
Yard Trimmings 30.47 30.8 29 27.2 25.4 23.6 20.8 17.2 16.2 15.65 15.1 11.9 12.2 12.35 12.5 12.37 12.23
Food Wastes 20.02 20.8 19 17.2 15.4 13.6 13.4 21.4 21.3 22.95 24.6 25.2 25.5 26.18 26.85 27.68 28.5
Wood  11.57 12.08 12.36 12.64 12.92 13.2 13.5 10.3 11 11.3 11.6 12.2 11.9 12.11 12.32 12.46 12.59
Other 5.3 5.4 5.53 5.65 5.78 5.9 6 6.1 6.3 6.4 6.5 8.6 6.8 6.88 6.96 7.63 8.3
Glass 10.86 10.47 10.4 10.34 10.34 10.2 9.7 9.2 9.1 9.4 9.7 9.9 10.2 10.18 10.15 10.09 10.02
Rubber 4.13 4.24 4.34 4.43 4.53 4.63 4.73 4.9 5.01 5.09 5.17 4.77 4.49 4.66 4.83 4.85 4.88
Leather 1.15 1.18 1.21 1.24 1.26 1.29 0.77 0.8 0.8 0.82 0.83 0.83 0.88 0.89 0.9 0.88 0.86
Metals 12.75 12.58 11.91 11.24 11.24 9.9 9.6 9.7 9.9 10.7 11.5 11.66 11.8 11.88 11.96 11.85 11.74
Paper & Paperboard
    Newsprint 7.27 7.4 7.4 7.41 7.41 7.41 6.17 5.64 6.12 6.03 5.94 6.28 4.85 3.54 2.23 4.13 6.03
    Paper 23.99 24.41 24.42 24.42 24.43 24.44 24.58 23.78 24.49 25.11 25.72 23.78 23 23.48 23.96 20.2 16.44
   Containers & Packaging 20.33 20.69 20.7 20.71 20.71 20.72 18.17 17.9 18.31 17.91 17.51 17.31 17.27 17.11 16.94 18.24 19.53
Plastics
    PET 1.17 1.24 1.28 1.32 1.36 1.4 1.33 1.35 1.54 1.69 1.84 2.06 2.11 2.29 2.46 2.58 2.7
    HDPE 2.76 2.93 3.03 3.12 3.22 3.31 3.15 3.17 4.21 4.37 4.52 4.41 4.49 4.58 4.67 5.11 5.55
    PVC 1.31 1.4 1.44 1.49 1.53 1.58 1.5 1.23 1.32 1.35 1.37 1.39 1.42 1.45 1.47 1.51 1.55
    LDPE/LLDPE 4.42 4.7 4.85 5 5.15 5.29 5.04 4.9 5.28 5.24 5.2 5.59 5.73 5.9 6.06 6.07 6.08
    PP 2.44 2.59 2.67 2.76 2.84 2.92 2.78 2.45 2.67 2.67 2.67 3.34 3.45 3.53 3.6 3.69 3.77
    PS 1.95 2.08 2.14 2.21 2.28 2.34 2.23 1.96 2.09 2.12 2.15 2.28 2.29 2.28 2.27 2.36 2.44
    Other 1.72 1.83 1.88 1.94 2 2.06 1.96 3.1 3.24 3.33 3.41 4.3 4.5 4.62 4.73 4.95 5.17
Total 168.49 172 168.9 165.8 163.4 159.6 151.9 151.8 156 159.6 163.2 163.9 161.3 162.6 163.9 165.9 167.8
  Notes: Totals may not equal the sum of all components due to independent rounding.  Discards includes all MSW material available for combustion with energy recovery, discards to landfill, and other disposal.  For explanation of plastics abbreviations, see Appendix C.
  Source:  Environmental Protection Agency, Municipal Solid Waste in the United States, 2005. http://www.epa.gov/msw/msw99.htm