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U.S. recycling reference

110 U.S. Recycling Statistics: Facts, Rates & Materials

The U.S. recycling rate, the materials behind it and how to read a recycling figure correctly, from EPA’s national and material-specific data.

Published by
Wastemanagement Jobs Editorial Team
Last source check
Coverage
United States; primarily EPA 2018 materials data, with historical material-flow series
Source policy: We cite the relevant EPA dataset on every fact. EPA’s latest complete national material-flow series is for 2018, so it is not described as a current 2026 rate.

At a glance

Key numbers

32.1%

combined recycling and composting rate

EPA’s 2018 national rate combines 69 million recycled tons and 25 million composted tons.

EPA materials facts

69M

tons recycled in 2018

This is EPA’s national recycling tonnage, separate from composting and other food management.

EPA materials facts

292.4M

tons of MSW generated in 2018

This is the denominator for the national material-flow context, not a tally of every U.S. waste stream.

EPA materials facts

110 sourced facts, grouped by topic.

National picture

The U.S. recycling picture

EPA’s national overview separates recycling, composting, combustion with energy recovery and landfilling. The combined rate is useful for a broad picture; material-specific rates explain what drives it.

  1. 29,990 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were generated in 1960.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  2. 44,310 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were generated in 1970.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  3. 55,160 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were generated in 1980.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  4. 72,730 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were generated in 1990.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  5. 87,740 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were generated in 2000.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  6. 84,840 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were generated in 2005.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  7. 71,310 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were generated in 2010.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  8. 68,050 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were generated in 2015.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  9. 67,010 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were generated in 2017.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  10. 67,390 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were generated in 2018.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  11. 5,080 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were recycled in 1960.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  12. 6,770 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were recycled in 1970.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  13. 11,740 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were recycled in 1980.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  14. 20,230 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were recycled in 1990.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  15. 37,560 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were recycled in 2000.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  16. 41,960 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were recycled in 2005.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  17. 44,570 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were recycled in 2010.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  18. 45,320 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were recycled in 2015.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  19. 44,170 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were recycled in 2017.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  20. 45,970 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were recycled in 2018.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  21. 150 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were combusted with energy recovery in 1970.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  22. 860 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were combusted with energy recovery in 1980.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  23. 8,930 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were combusted with energy recovery in 1990.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  24. 9,730 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were combusted with energy recovery in 2000.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  25. 7,800 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were combusted with energy recovery in 2005.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  26. 4,740 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were combusted with energy recovery in 2010.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  27. 4,450 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were combusted with energy recovery in 2015.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  28. 4,490 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were combusted with energy recovery in 2017.EPA paper data · 1960-2018

Materials

What happens to paper, plastic, glass and metals

Materials behave very differently in the U.S. waste stream. A paper figure should not be used to imply a plastics outcome, and a tonnage should not be presented as a rate.

  1. 4,200 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were combusted with energy recovery in 2018.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  2. 24,910 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in 1960.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  3. 37,390 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in 1970.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  4. 42,560 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in 1980.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  5. 43,570 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in 1990.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  6. 40,450 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in 2000.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  7. 35,080 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in 2005.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  8. 22,000 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in 2010.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  9. 18,280 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in 2015.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  10. 18,350 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in 2017.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  11. 17,220 thousand U.S. tons of paper and paperboard were landfilled in 2018.EPA paper data · 1960-2018
  12. 390 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were generated in 1960.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  13. 2,900 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were generated in 1970.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  14. 6,830 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were generated in 1980.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  15. 17,130 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were generated in 1990.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  16. 25,550 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were generated in 2000.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  17. 29,380 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were generated in 2005.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  18. 31,400 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were generated in 2010.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  19. 34,480 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were generated in 2015.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  20. 35,410 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were generated in 2017.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  21. 35,680 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were generated in 2018.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  22. 20 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were recycled in 1980.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  23. 370 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were recycled in 1990.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  24. 1,480 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were recycled in 2000.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  25. 1,780 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were recycled in 2005.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  26. 2,500 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were recycled in 2010.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  27. 3,120 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were recycled in 2015.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  28. 3,000 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were recycled in 2017.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018

Organics

Food and yard-trimmings in the recycling picture

Food and yard trimmings have their own material-flow series and management pathways. Composting them counts toward the combined rate but is a different pathway from recycling containers or paper.

  1. 3,090 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were recycled in 2018.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  2. 140 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were combusted with energy recovery in 1980.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  3. 2,980 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were combusted with energy recovery in 1990.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  4. 4,120 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were combusted with energy recovery in 2000.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  5. 4,330 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were combusted with energy recovery in 2005.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  6. 4,530 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were combusted with energy recovery in 2010.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  7. 5,330 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were combusted with energy recovery in 2015.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  8. 5,590 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were combusted with energy recovery in 2017.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  9. 5,620 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were combusted with energy recovery in 2018.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  10. 390 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were landfilled in 1960.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  11. 2,900 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were landfilled in 1970.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  12. 6,670 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were landfilled in 1980.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  13. 13,780 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were landfilled in 1990.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  14. 19,950 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were landfilled in 2000.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  15. 23,270 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were landfilled in 2005.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  16. 24,370 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were landfilled in 2010.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  17. 26,030 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were landfilled in 2015.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  18. 26,820 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were landfilled in 2017.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  19. 26,970 thousand U.S. tons of plastics were landfilled in 2018.EPA plastics data · 1960-2018
  20. 12,200 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 1960.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  21. 12,800 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 1970.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  22. 13,000 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 1980.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  23. 23,860 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 1990.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  24. 30,700 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 2000.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  25. 32,930 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 2005.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  26. 35,740 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 2010.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  27. 39,730 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 2015.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  28. 40,670 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 2017.EPA food data · 1960-2019

Trends and impact

Recycling trends and modeled impacts

Historical material-flow data track tonnage. EPA’s WARM model estimates environmental effects. Keep the two apart when you quote a trend.

  1. 63,130 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 2018.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  2. 66,220 thousand U.S. tons of food were generated in 2019.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  3. 680 thousand U.S. tons of food were composted in 2000.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  4. 690 thousand U.S. tons of food were composted in 2005.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  5. 970 thousand U.S. tons of food were composted in 2010.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  6. 2,100 thousand U.S. tons of food were composted in 2015.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  7. 2,570 thousand U.S. tons of food were composted in 2017.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  8. 2,590 thousand U.S. tons of food were composted in 2018.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  9. 3,300 thousand U.S. tons of food were composted in 2019.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  10. 17,710 thousand U.S. tons of food were other food management in 2018.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  11. 13,640 thousand U.S. tons of food were other food management in 2019.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  12. 6,150 thousand U.S. tons of food were combusted with energy recovery in 2010.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  13. 7,380 thousand U.S. tons of food were combusted with energy recovery in 2015.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  14. 7,470 thousand U.S. tons of food were combusted with energy recovery in 2017.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  15. 7,550 thousand U.S. tons of food were combusted with energy recovery in 2018.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  16. 9,650 thousand U.S. tons of food were combusted with energy recovery in 2019.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  17. 12,200 thousand U.S. tons of food were landfilled in 1960.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  18. 12,750 thousand U.S. tons of food were landfilled in 1970.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  19. 12,740 thousand U.S. tons of food were landfilled in 1980.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  20. 19,800 thousand U.S. tons of food were landfilled in 1990.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  21. 24,200 thousand U.S. tons of food were landfilled in 2000.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  22. 26,370 thousand U.S. tons of food were landfilled in 2005.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  23. 28,620 thousand U.S. tons of food were landfilled in 2010.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  24. 30,250 thousand U.S. tons of food were landfilled in 2015.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  25. 30,630 thousand U.S. tons of food were landfilled in 2017.EPA food data · 1960-2019
  26. 35,280 thousand U.S. tons of food were landfilled in 2018.EPA food data · 1960-2019

Methodology

How to use these facts accurately

Wastemanagement Jobs did not produce these estimates. Each fact restates a named public source. Keep the agency, data year, measure and scope beside a number when you quote it; national material-flow data, occupation data and project inventories do not answer the same question.

Primary sources used on this page

National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling

EPA materials facts

Paper and Paperboard: Material-Specific Data

EPA paper data

Plastics: Material-Specific Data

EPA plastics data

Food: Material-Specific Data

EPA food data

Yard Trimmings: Material-Specific Data

EPA yard data

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