Frequent Questions regarding EPA's Facts and Figures ...

Below are frequent questions and corresponding answers about EPA's Facts and Figures About Materials, Waste and Recycling.

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What are the most recent Facts and Figures data? From what year?

The most recent data for all materials and products is now from 2021, a significant update as new environmental policies and innovations have influenced figures since the last reported year of 2018.

What's the difference between a material and a product?

EPA uses two categories to characterize the 294.3 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in 2021. The first is by material. This category includes paper and paperboard, glass, metals, plastics, food, yard trimmings, rubber and leather, textiles, wood, and other. The second is by these major product categories, which include durable goods, nondurable goods and containers and packaging.

The distinction between products and materials is that products are manufactured out of materials. Also, products are what people buy and handle, such as newspapers, bottles and cans. A material is a raw item before it is shaped into something else, such as a piece of leather before it is made into a glove. EPA tracks products to learn how people are consuming, using and discarding materials. This information allows the Agency to target activities that will ultimately maximize source reduction, recycling and composting of materials.

What's the difference between a nondurable good, a durable good, and containers and packaging?

• Durable goods last three years or more;
• Nondurable goods generally last less than three years; and
• Containers and packaging are assumed to be discarded the same year the products they contain are purchased.

How many cell phones and computers are generated and recycled each year?

The Advancing Sustainable Materials Management (SMM): Facts and Figures 2021 report has yet to break down electronic waste by category in detail. However, it continues to track electronics like TVs, VCRs, DVD players, cell phones, video cameras, fax machines, telephones, and computer equipment.

According to the report, an estimated 3 million tons of consumer electronics were generated in 2021. Of this, 1.1 million tons of selected consumer electronics were collected for recycling, achieving a 36.7 percent recovery rate.

The Electronics section of the Durable Goods page has information on generation, recycling, combustion with energy recovery, and landfilling for selected consumer electronics.

The purpose of this report is to track generation and recycling rates. The report does not provide insight into policies and behaviors that influence the trends.

How much packaging is generated, recycled, combusted with energy recovery, and landfilled each year in the United States? What trends exist?

For general information on containers and packaging (on what is generated, recycled, combusted with energy recovery and landfilled), refer to the Containers and Packaging page of this website. Figures 17 and 18 in the Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures 2021 Data Tables also provide useful information. Figure 17 summarizes containers and packaging materials (glass, metals, plastic, etc.). Figure 18 summarizes containers and packaging items (corrugated cardboard, steel packaging, aluminum packaging, PET bottles and jars, etc.).

Some examples of recent trends in containers and packaging recycling are found in Table 25 of the 2021 Data Tables. Corrugated boxes were recycled at 68 percent in 2000, rising to 96.9 percent in 2021. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles were recycled at a rate of 21 percent in 2000 and increased to 30.1 percent in 2021.

Information on recycling of Styrofoam packaging can be found in Table 8 of the 2021 Data Tables. Styrofoam containers, known as polystyrene (PS) containers, generated 75 thousand tons in 2021, with less than 5,000 tons recycled in the United States. Additionally, 135 thousand tons of polystyrene bags, sacks, and wraps and 320 thousand tons of other packaging were generated in 2021 with 23 thousand tons recycled (3.9 percent of PS in containers and packaging).

How much clothing is generated, recycled, and disposed of each year?

The Clothing and Footwear section on the Nondurable Goods page of this website shows that 13.5 million tons of clothing and footwear were generated in 2021. "Generated" means having reached end-of-life—ready for recycling, combustion with energy recovery, or landfilling. Reuse occurs before generation, and EPA does not have estimates for the reuse of textiles, such as from donations or to groups such as Goodwill.

Table 19 in the Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures 2021 Data Tables shows that 14 percent of clothing and footwear was recycled in 2021. These numbers do not include the amount of textiles donated or resold in the United States for reuse. Table 20 of the 2021 Data Tables shows that 2.3 million tons of clothing and footwear were combusted with energy recovery in 2021. Table 21 of the 2021 Data Tables shows that 9.6 million tons of clothing and footwear were landfilled in 2021.

What percentage of plastic or plastic bottles are recycled? What is the percentage of paper cartons recycled? And the percentage of aluminum cans recycled?

Nationwide, in 2021, the actual recycling rate for some key beverage containers was:

• Glass beer and soft drink bottles—40 percent
• Glass wine and liquor bottles—40.1 percent
• Aluminum beer and soft drink cans—51 percent
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles and jars—30.1 percent
• High-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic natural bottles—30.4 percent

The figures above come from Table 25 of the Advancing Sustainable Materials Management (SMM): Facts and Figures 2021 Data Tables.

EPA keeps its data on the generation, recycling, composting, energy recovery, and landfilling of materials and products, such as beverage containers, in weight, rather than in volume. The amount generated is the amount available for recycling, composting, energy recovery, and landfilling.

What are the overall findings of the Facts and Figures Report?

In the United States in 2021, 294.3 million tons (U.S. short tons unless specified) of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) (trash) were generated. About 95 million tons of MSW were recycled and composted, resulting in a 32.3 percent recycling rate. An additional 18 million tons were managed through other food pathways (refer to the Food: Material-Specific Data web page.)

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Approximately how many shopping bags do Americans consume every year? How many of those bags are recycled?

EPA collects information on solid waste generation, recycling, composting, combustion with energy recovery and landfilling for the Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures report. The 2021 Data Tables include the following information:

We have statistics for plastic bags, sacks, and wraps (which includes shrink wrap), as a category. In the 2021 Data Tables, Table 22 shows that about 4.1 million tons of plastic bags, sacks, and wraps were generated in 2021, while Table 24 shows that 410,000 tons were recycled. Table 26 shows that 730,000 tons of plastic bags, sacks, and wraps were combusted with energy recovery. Table 28 indicates that 3 million tons of plastic bags, sacks, and wraps were landfilled. The recycling rate for plastic bags, sacks, and wraps was 10 percent in 2021 (Table 25).

How much food waste is generated in America?

EPA and USDA have been working on the issue of sustainable management of food since the 1990s. In 2021, more than 64 million tons of food waste was generated from residential, commercial, and institutional sectors, with 4.2 percent diverted from landfills and combustion facilities for composting and another 29 percent diverted through other food management pathways (animal feed, codigestion/anaerobic digestion, bio-based materials/biochemical processing, donation, land application and sewer/wastewater treatment). Despite changes in methodology, the percentage of food landfilled remains lower than previous estimates: 55.5% in 2021, compared to 75.31% in 2017. Still, EPA estimates that more food reaches landfills and combustion facilities than any other single material in our everyday trash, constituting 24.5 percent of the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfilled and 22.5 percent of MSW combusted with energy recovery. Since food is a major contributor to the amount of methane generated by and released from landfills, taking action on wasted food will help reduce methane emissions. The most recent data EPA has on the generation and management of wasted food in America is from 2021. Refer to the Material-Specific page on Food for more information. The most recent data also is captured in the “Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures Report.”

Where can I download the summary data tables and view the research memos?

Click this link to find out how to download the summary data tables and view the research memos.

Is the municipal solid waste data in the Facts and Figures analysis pre-consumer or post-consumer?

All of the municipal solid waste data in the Facts and Figures analysis is post-consumer waste. Sources of MSW include residential waste, including waste from single and multi-family housing, as well as waste from commercial and institutional locations, such as restaurants, grocery stores, other businesses, schools, hospitals, and industrial facilities. Industrial facility waste includes waste from sources such as offices, cafeterias and packaging, but not process waste.

How is textiles generation calculated?

The information on textiles includes generation, which is the weight of materials and products as they enter the waste management system. After calculating total generation, EPA estimates several pathways, such as recycling, composting, combustion with energy recovery and landfilling, to understand how waste is managed. Reuse, such as the reuse of clothing through donation to second-hand stores, occurs before generation, so it is not included in the generation or recycling estimates. EPA currently does not have an estimate for the number of textiles reused.

The textiles material-specific web page includes textiles such as those in furniture. On another page on this website, there is a section on clothing and footwear and a section on towels, sheets, and pillowcases.

Is the data in the Facts and Figures analysis provided in U.S. (short) tons or metric tons?

The data in the Facts and Figures analysis is provided in U.S. (short) tons unless otherwise noted. One ton equals 2,000 pounds.

1. Acrylic

Strong and transparent, acrylic offers the same clarity as glass without the risk of shattering. Acrylic can be manufactured in a variety of forms, including High Impact Acrylic (HIA) for superior durability. Acrylic also boasts excellent weather resistance, making it a great choice for outdoor installations.

2. Polypropylene

From temporary signage to printed advertising banners, polypropylene is a versatile plastic with a myriad of uses. It’s manufactured via chain-growth polymerisation and is strong, lightweight and resistant to chemicals, oil and water. As well as signage and POS displays, other common polypropylene uses include clinging film, yogurt pots, and pharmaceutical containers.

3. PVC

Short for polyvinyl chloride, PVC is one of the most widely produced synthetic plastic polymers in the world. It’s available in either rigid or flexible forms and is used to manufacture pipes, bottles, electrical cables, flooring, and imitation leather. Thanks to excellent versatility and robustness, foamed PVC is popular within the signage and exhibition industries.

4. Polyethylene

Popular among builders, architects, and interior designers, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polyethylene high-density (PEHD) is a thermoplastic polymer produced from the monomer ethylene. With a high strength-to-density ratio, HDPE is used in the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes, cutting boards in houses and on boats, plastic garden bed liners, pond liners and plastic lumber.

5. Corflute

Also known as fluted polypropylene, Corflute resembles corrugated cardboard and features external walls separated by internal ribbing. The ribbing creates air pockets and makes Corflute a robust, yet lightweight option for signage, POS displays and printed banners. Great weather resistance makes Corflute ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications.

6. Nylon

Strong and rigid, nylon is a high-performance synthetic polymer with exceptional wear and tear properties. The robust molecular structure of nylon makes it the plastic of choice for replacing metal bearings and bushings.

7. Polyethylene Terephthalate

Manufactured via extrusion, polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) offers brilliant clarity, high impact resistance and exceptional thermoform ability. Light transmission of up to 91 percent makes it comparable to glass. PETG is readily available in sheet form, with applications including screen printing, signage, POS displays and industrial guards.

8. High Impact Polystyrene

High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) is a soft-touch plastic product that’s used extensively in vacuum applications, including refrigerator linings, food packing trays and POS Displays. HIPS boasts fantastic thermoform ability, as well as good chemical resistance and low water absorption rates.

9. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) combines first-rate impact resistance with excellent thermoformability and defense against chemicals. This makes it the product of choice for a variety of internal applications, including industrial casings, automotive trim panels, suitcases, paving trays, and poker machine faces.

10. Aluminium Composite Material

Aluminium composite material (ACM) has emerged as a popular product among builders and signage designers. The product is lightweight and easy to fabricate, making it a good alternative to traditional materials, such as wood, stone, and tiles.

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