Recycling Statistics: What Happens to U.S. Waste?
Published September 15, 2026 · StatsGalore
Municipal solid waste recycled or composted [1]
EPA’s national municipal-solid-waste overview reports that 32.1% of generated waste was recycled or composted in 2018. The underlying data year is 2018, even though the webpage can be maintained later. Keeping that date visible prevents a historical baseline from being mistaken for a current-year measurement. [1]
The numbers
| Measure | 2018 estimate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Waste generated | 292.4 million U.S. short tons | [1] |
| Recycled | About 69 million tons | [1] |
| Composted | About 25 million tons | [1] |
| Other food management | 17.7 million tons | [1] |
| Combusted with energy recovery | 34.6 million tons | [1] |
| Landfilled | About 146 million tons | [1] |
The recycling rate includes composting
The headline combines two pathways: recycling and composting. Describing it as material recycling alone would narrow the label without changing the numerator. The distinction is especially important when comparing with a source that reports only recycling.
Other food-management pathways are reported separately. They should not silently be added to the combined recycling-and-composting rate.
[1]Municipal solid waste has a boundary
This waste stream includes many products discarded by consumers, but it is not every material disposed of in the country. Construction and demolition debris and other separately defined waste streams are outside this headline total.
Comparing it with a landfill operator’s all-material tonnage can therefore mix different scopes. Match the material coverage before drawing a conclusion.
[1]A dated baseline can still be useful
Older statistics can provide a useful reference when their dates are clear. The problem arises when a recent page publication date is substituted for the underlying measurement year. This page keeps those dates separate.
The table uses rounded quantities as presented in EPA’s overview. Small differences in sums should not be treated as precise evidence about missing waste.
[1]Method changes affect apparent trends
EPA expanded its food-waste measurement approach for 2018. Part of the change from the previous year reflects broader accounting, rather than a sudden behavioral change in every household.
For a time trend, read the methodology notes alongside the values. A consistent definition is as important as the arithmetic when comparing percentages across years.
[1]Sources & notes
EPA national municipal-solid-waste overview, data through 2018. U.S. short tons. Recycling-and-composting is a combined measure; 2018 food-waste methodology changed.
Source review: 2026-09-15. Article publication and underlying data dates are separate. How we use statistics · Suggest a correction