Waste Industry Statistics
Need some data to back up the trash facts? Use our weight calculators — or save yourself the research and check out our waste, recycling, and business statistics.
After you throw your garbage away, it's usually sorted at a transfer station then sent to another facility. Start here to learn where your trash goes next.
Illegal dumping can do more than just harm the environment. It can also cause property values to fall and cost taxpayers money to clean up the mess.
While the recycling rate in the U.S. has dropped, the total tonnage is at an all-time high. Learn all about the current American recycling landscape.
Plastic bags can contaminate food sources when improperly disposed, but will your food be exposed to bacteria without them?
After garbage is tossed, the majority of it is sent to a landfill to decompose, while recyclables are sorted and repurposed in a recycling center.
The U.S. produces 268 million tons of waste — 140 million going into landfills — each year, with the average American tossing 4.5 pounds of trash per day. Learn more about America's trash production.