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Waste Overview

Recycling rates of municipal solid waste (MSW) grew rapidly in the late 1980s and 1990s, and since 2000 are showing stagnation.

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Recycling rates in the United States from 1960 to 2015. Source: EPA 1.

Rates of combustion of solid waste are likewise stagnant.

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Combustion rates in the United States from 1960 to 2015. Source: EPA 1.

There is room to increase recycling rates for all major commodities in MSW.

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Recycling in the United States by commodity. Source: EPA 1.

Problem:
No Nationwide Recycling Regulation
Solution:
Recycling Mandates - U.S.

Trade

International trade is a small share of the overworld world waste management system.

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Source: Lark et al. 2.

References

  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2015 Tables and Figures". July 2018. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. United Nations Environment Programme. "Global Material Flows Database". Accessed December 8, 2022. ↩