National Survey of Community Solid Waste Practices

Results and Conclusions of the First Surveys

Municipal solid waste (MSW) includes wastes such as durable goods, nondurable goods, containers, packaging, food scraps, yard trimmings, and miscellaneous inorganic wastes from residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial sources. Examples of wastes from these categories include appliances, newspapers, clothing, boxes, disposable tableware, office and classroom paper, wood pallets, and food wastes. MSW does not include items such as construction and demotion wastes, municipal sludge resulting from water and wastewater treatment plants, combustion [Page 577]ash from incinerators, and industrial wastes, all of which might also be disposed of in municipal waste landfills.

The first National Survey of Community Solid Waste Practices, conducted in 1968, found that average waste generation rates from residential households were 2.49 pounds (lbs) per person per day; commercial wastes accounted for 1.08 pounds per person per day. The total was 360 million tons per year, not including the 550 million tons of agricultural wastes and crop residues. Additionally, 1.5 billion tons per year of animal waste and 1.1 billion tons per year of mineral waste were found in the landfills. Cumulatively, it was estimated that over 3.5 billion tons of solid wastes were generated in 1968 in the United States. The study also indicated that low-income households generated more glass, metal, and food waste and less paper, textiles, plastics, leather, and rubber waste compared to average solid waste generated.

Franklin Associates conducted a national study of solid waste generated in 1981. Data on solid waste quantities in several cities revealed detailed waste-generation quantities by residential and commercial components. Residential solid waste generation was related to median household income. The amount of MSW generated in the United States in 1981 was 281 million tons, which was 4 percent less than the previous year.

Of the total solid waste generated, 15 percent was recycled, 12 percent was incinerated, and the remaining 73 percent was landfilled. The average per capita generation of residential waste was 2.38 lbs per person per day, while the recyclable materials discarded were 0.34 lbs per person per day.

The 1981 study also indicated that the per capita solid waste generation decreased slightly with increased population density. There was a 0.06 lb per person decrease for every person-per acre increase in population density. The lower-income households generated solid waste at about 1.75 lbs per person per day, while higher-income households generated 2.5 lbs per person per day. It was also shown that the residential waste generation rate (pounds per person per day) was directly proportional to median household income, and commercial waste generated was proportional to the total retail sales in that area.

...