Table 3.
Average amount, composition, and management pathways of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the U.S. per capita per day48. Blanks represent missing values.
| Category | 2018 MSW generation (kg) | Weight recycled (kg) | Weight composted (kg) | Weight other food management pathways (kg) | Weight combusted with energy recovery (kg) | Weight landfilled (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper and paperboard | 0.56 | 0.38 | 0.04 | 0.14 | ||
| Glass | 0.10 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.06 | ||
| Steel | 0.16 | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.09 | ||
| Aluminium, other nonferrous metals | 0.05 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.03 | ||
| Plastics | 0.30 | 0.03 | 0.05 | 0.23 | ||
| Rubber and leather | 0.08 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.04 | ||
| Textiles | 0.14 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.09 | ||
| Wood | 0.15 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.10 | ||
| Food, yard trimmings, other MSW organics | 0.83 | 0.21 | 0.15 | 0.08 | 0.38 | |
| Other MSW | 0.07 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.05 | ||
| Total | 2.45 | 0.58 | 0.21 | 0.15 | 0.29 | 1.22 |