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Municipal Solid Waste Disposal (MSW)
Figure 2. Municipal Solid Waste Disposal (MSW)
This bar graph shows the change in destination of MSW over time. In 1960, MSW was mainly discarded to landfills with under 10% of all MSW being recycled. By 2005, over 20% of all MSW was recycled, approximately 8 % was composted, 14% was combusted with energy recovery and just over 50% was land filled.
  Source: Table 3 and Environmental Protection Agency, Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2005 Facts and Figures. http://www.epa.gov/msw/msw99.htm