6/3/2017 MunicipalSolidWaste|Wastes|USEPA

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MunicipalSolidWaste
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MunicipalSolidWaste(MSW)morecommonlyknownastrashorgarbageconsistsofeverydayitemsweuseand
thenthrowaway,suchasproductpackaging,grassclippings,furniture,clothing,bottles,foodscraps,newspapers, SustainableMaterials
appliances,paint,andbatteries.Thiscomesfromourhomes,schools,hospitals,andbusinesses. Management
MunicipalSolidWaste
EachyearEPAproducesareportcalledAdvancingSustainableMaterialsManagement:FactsandFigures2013, Publications
formerlycalledMunicipalSolidWasteintheUnitedStates:FactsandFigures.ItincludesinformationonMSW AdvancingSustainable
generation,recycling,anddisposal. MaterialsManagement:
FactsandFigures
After30yearsoftrackingMSW,thereporthasbeenexpandedtoincludeadditionalinformationonsourcereduction NonHazardousWaste
(wasteprevention)ofMSW,informationonhistoricallandfilltippingfeesforMSW,andinformationonconstruction ManagementHierarchy
anddemolitiondebrisgeneration,whichisoutsideofthescopeofMSW. Reduce,Reuse,Recycle
Checkoutournew
Thenewnamealsoemphasizestheimportanceofsustainablematerialsmanagement(SMM).SMMreferstotheuse infographiconMSW!
andreuseofmaterialsinthemostproductiveandsustainablewaysacrosstheirentirelifecycle.SMMpractices
conserveresources,reducewastes,slowclimatechangeandminimizetheenvironmentalimpactsofthematerialsweuse.

In2013,Americansgeneratedabout254milliontonsoftrashandrecycledandcompostedabout87milliontonsofthismaterial,equivalenttoa
34.3percentrecyclingrate.Onaverage,werecycledandcomposted1.51poundsofourindividualwastegenerationof4.40poundsperpersonper
day(Figure1andFigure2).

EPAencouragespracticesthatreducetheamountofwasteneedingtobedisposedof,suchaswasteprevention,recycling,andcomposting.

Sourcereduction,orwasteprevention,isdesigningproductstoreduce
theamountofwastethatwilllaterneedtobethrownawayandalso
tomaketheresultingwastelesstoxic.

Recyclingistherecoveryofusefulmaterials,suchaspaper,glass,
plastic,andmetals,fromthetrashtousetomakenewproducts,
reducingtheamountofvirginrawmaterialsneeded.

Compostinginvolvescollectingorganicwaste,suchasfoodscrapsand
yardtrimmings,andstoringitunderconditionsdesignedtohelpit

breakdownnaturally.Thisresultingcompostcanthenbeusedasa
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breakdownnaturally.Thisresultingcompostcanthenbeusedasa
naturalfertilizer.

In2013,newspapers/mechanicalpapersrecoverywasabout67percent(5.4
milliontons),andabout60percentofyardtrimmingswererecovered(Figure
3).OrganicmaterialscontinuetobethelargestcomponentofMSW.Paper
andpaperboardaccountfor27percentandyardtrimmingsandfoodaccount
foranother28percent.Plasticscompriseabout13percentmetalsmakeup9
percentandrubber,leather,andtextilesaccountfor9percent.Woodfollows
ataround6percentandglassat5percent.Othermiscellaneouswastesmake
upapproximately3percentoftheMSWgeneratedin2013(Figure4).

Thissectiondescribestherequirementsfordisposalandcombustionof
MunicipalSolidWaste:

Landfillsareengineeredareaswherewasteisplacedintotheland.
Landfillsusuallyhavelinersystemsandothersafeguardstoprevent
pollutingthegroundwater.

EnergyRecoveryfromWasteistheconversionofnonrecyclable Figure1.MSWGenerationRates,19602013
wastematerialsintouseableheat,electricity,orfuel. +Viewinformationintextformat
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TransferStationsarefacilitieswheremunicipalsolidwasteis
unloadedfromcollectionvehiclesandbrieflyheldwhileitisreloaded
ontolarger,longdistancetransportvehiclesforshipmenttolandfills
orothertreatmentordisposalfacilities.

ResourceConservation
Recyclingandcompostingprevented87.2milliontonsofmaterialawayfrom
beingdisposedin2013,upfrom15milliontonsin1980.Thispreventedthe
releaseofapproximately186millionmetrictonsofcarbondioxideequivalent
intotheairin2013equivalenttotakingover39millioncarsofftheroadfor
ayear.Learnmoreabouthowcommonwastesandmaterials,includingfood
andyardwastes,paper,metals,andelectronics,contributetoMSW
generationandhowtheycanberecycled.

Figure2.MSWRecyclingRates,19602013
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+Viewenlargedimage

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Figure3.RecyclingRatesofSelectedProducts,2013**
Mechanicalpapersincludedirectories,newspaperinserts,and
someadvertisementanddirectmailprinting.
+Viewinformationintextformat
+Viewenlargedimage

Figure4.TotalMSWGeneration(byMaterial),2013
254MillionTons(beforerecycling)
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+Viewenlargedimage

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