The EPA’s latest municipal solid waste (MSW) report now spots a new name – Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures 2013 – that emphasizes the importance of sustainable materials management.
As reported in Waste 360, according to the study:
- The rate of MSW discarded fell one percentage point from 2012 to 52.8 percent.
- The recovery rate also fell slightly to 34.3 percent in 2013 from 34.5 percent in 2013.
- Americans generated about 254.1 million tons of waste and recycled and composted more than 87 million tons.
- On a per capita basis, the amount of waste generated per American per day rose slightly to 4.40 pounds in 2013 from 4.38 pounds in 2012.
- In 2013, Americans recycled and composted about 1.51 pounds per day, but the composition changed slightly with composting increasing and recycling decreasing.
- Americans generated about 254.1 million tons of waste and recycled and composted more than 87 million tons.
See nine highlights from the report, or get the full report, as well as previous EPA MSW reports, which are released every two years.