U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Recycling Rate Was 27% in 1996

According to a report entitled, "Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1997 Update," the recycling of municipal solid waste (MSW) in this country reached a rate of 27% in 1996.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) report showed that just under 210 million tons of MSW was generated in 1996, a decrease of nearly 2 million tons from 1995. The per capita generation rate was estimated at 4.3 pounds per person per day.

Nearly 9,000 curbside recycling programs were in operation in the U.S. during that year, as well as more than 10,000 drop-off centers for recyclables. Recovery of paper and paperboard reached 41% (33 million tons), accounting for more than half of the total MSW recovered. In addition, nearly 11 million tons of yard trimmings were recovered for composting, accounting for the second largest fraction of recovered materials. The percentage of yard trimmings composted, 38%, has more than doubled since 1992.

The report, document number EPA 530-S-98-007, currently is available on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw97.htm. Hard copies will be available soon through the EPA's RCRA/Superfund hotline at 800-424-9346 or 703-412-9810.