Per capita municipal solid waste generation in the U.S. 1960-2018

The average American generated 4.9 pounds of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2018. This is a considerable increase from 1960, when 2.68 pounds of MSW were generated in the United States per capita.

Municipal solid waste in the U.S.

Commonly referred to as trash, municipal solid waste (MSW) comprises of a variety of materials such as paper, plastics, metals, and food. The volume of MSW generation in the U.S. has increased massively since the 1960s. In that year, less than 90 million tons of materials and products entered the U.S. waste management system from residential, commercial and institutional sources. By 1990, this amount had increased to more than 200 million tons, and most recently in 2018 totaled 292 million tons. The U.S. is one of largest producers of MSW worldwide.

Waste disposal methods in the U.S.

The United States has a number of waste treatment methods to deal with the large volumes of waste generated each year, such as combustion with energy recovery and composting. Recycling has seen considerable growth over the years, but landfilling remains the main disposal method in the U.S.