The volume of municipal solid waste (MSW) may double, from 1.3 billion tons today to 2.6 billion tons, by 2025 according to Worldwatch Institute.
MSW includes organic material, paper, plastic, glass, metals and other refuse that is collected by municipalities, but does not include waste from rural areas, construction projects, sewage systems or other specialized categories.
US MSW 2010, Source: EPA
The United States produced 250 million tons of MSW in 2010 according to the Environmental Protection Agency, accounting for about one-fifth of global total.
In the US, 34 percent of MSW was recycled or composted, while about 25 percent of MSW was recycled or composted globally.
Read the release or access the complete report at worldwatch.org.