Municipal Solid Waste in the United States

2001 Facts and Figures

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This report is the latest publication in a series of publications describing the national waste stream based on data collected from 1960 through 2001. The historical perspective provided by the data is useful for establishing trends in types of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated and in the ways that MSW is managed.

This report, as well as other publications in the series, includes information on:

1. MSW generation, recovery, and disposal from 1960 to 2001;
2. Per capita generation and discard rates;
3. Source reduction (waste prevention);
4. Materials (e.g., paper, glass, metals, plastic) that comprise MSW, as well as products
(E.g., durable and nondurable goods, containers, packaging) found in the waste stream;
5. Aggregate data on the infrastructure for MSW management, including estimates of the
number of curbside recycling programs, composting programs, and landfills in the U.S.; and
6. Trends in MSW management from 1960 to 2001, including source reduction, recovery
for recycling (including composting), and disposal via combustion and landfilling.

EPA plans to provide annual updates to this report.

*Previously this series of reports was titled, "Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States" and the 1998 Update, for instance, provided 1997 data.

Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2001 Final Report (2001 data) [PDF file, 850 KB]

Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: Executive Summary (2001 data) [PDF File, 271 KB]

Reports from Previous Years:

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