Municipal solid waste recycled in the U.S. 1960-2018, by material

Paper and paperboard are by far the most recycled materials in the U.S. municipal solid waste (MSW) stream, with roughly 46 million tons of these materials recycled in 2018. Metal is the second most recycled waste type, with more than eight million tons recycled each year.

Waste disposal methods in the U.S.

Although the amount of waste recovered for recycling has seen significant growth in recent decades, landfilling is still the most common MSW disposal method in the U.S. In 2018, 50 percent of MSW generated ended up in landfills, while 12 percent was combusted with energy recovery, and just 24 percent recycled.

Plastic recycling in the U.S.

Much like other waste materials, the volume of plastics recycled in the U.S. has increased significantly. Both PET and HDPE are the most recycled resins. However, plastic waste collected for recycling in the U.S. is often shipped abroad. Historically, China was the main destination for plastic waste, but with the ban the East Asian country introduced in 2017, now most of U.S. plastic scrap is exported to neighboring countries Canada and Mexico.