*Landfilling after recycling, composting, other food management pathways and combustion with energy recovery. Does not include construction &
demolition debris, industrial process wastes or certain other wastes.
**miscellaneous inorganic wastes in municipal solid waste (MSW) in this analysis includes soil, bits of concrete, and stones.
**** Includes electrolytes in batteries and fluff pulp, feces and urine in disposable diapers.
Citation formats
Municipal solid waste landfilled in the U.S. 1960-2018, by material
By weight, food is the most landfilled material in the United States' municipal solid waste stream, with **** million tons discarded in 2018. Paper and paperboard was once the most landfilled MSW material, but increased recycling over the years has seen the amount of paper and paperboard sent to landfills drop by ** percent since 1990. The increasing demand for plastics since the 1960's has seen the volume of this material landfilled increase from **** million tons to ** million tons. Despite the growth of recycling and combustion with energy recovery, landfilling remains the main waste disposal method in the U.S.
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Environmental Protection Agency. (January 23, 2021). Volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfilled in the United States from 1960 to 2018, by material* (in million tons) [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 25, 2026, from /statistics/1231960/municipal-solid-waste-landfilled-in-the-us-by-material/
Environmental Protection Agency. "Volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfilled in the United States from 1960 to 2018, by material* (in million tons)." Chart. January 23, 2021. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 25, 2026. /statistics/1231960/municipal-solid-waste-landfilled-in-the-us-by-material/
Environmental Protection Agency. (2021). Volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfilled in the United States from 1960 to 2018, by material* (in million tons). ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 25, 2026. /statistics/1231960/municipal-solid-waste-landfilled-in-the-us-by-material/
Environmental Protection Agency. "Volume of Municipal Solid Waste (Msw) Landfilled in The United States from 1960 to 2018, by Material* (in Million Tons)." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 23 Jan 2021, /statistics/1231960/municipal-solid-waste-landfilled-in-the-us-by-material/
Environmental Protection Agency, Volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfilled in the United States from 1960 to 2018, by material* (in million tons) ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1231960/municipal-solid-waste-landfilled-in-the-us-by-material/ (last visited July 25, 2026)
Volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfilled in the United States from 1960 to 2018, by material* (in million tons) [Graph], Environmental Protection Agency, January 23, 2021. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1231960/municipal-solid-waste-landfilled-in-the-us-by-material/
