GITNUXREPORT 2026

U.S. Plastic Waste Statistics

The U.S. creates immense amounts of plastic waste, with most ending up in landfills or polluting the environment.

Min-ji Park

Research Analyst focused on sustainability and consumer trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

U.S. households throw away 40% of their food, much in plastic packaging.

Statistic 2

Americans use 500 million plastic straws daily, averaging 1-2 per person.

Statistic 3

Average American consumes 74 million plastic water bottles yearly per million people.

Statistic 4

U.S. plastic packaging consumption: 146 pounds per person annually in 2018.

Statistic 5

Single-use plastic bags: 102 billion consumed yearly in U.S.

Statistic 6

U.S. consumers buy 29.7 billion plastic water bottles annually.

Statistic 7

Plastic in food packaging: 40% of U.S. plastic use.

Statistic 8

Average U.S. household uses 1,500 plastic bags per year.

Statistic 9

U.S. fast food chains serve 8 billion plastic utensils yearly.

Statistic 10

Coffee shop plastic cups: 25 billion used per year in U.S.

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U.S. supermarket plastic bags: 100 billion annually.

Statistic 12

Per capita plastic consumption in U.S.: 109 kg/year including packaging.

Statistic 13

U.S. beverage containers: 70 billion plastic ones consumed yearly.

Statistic 14

Plastic wrap and films used in 40% of U.S. grocery purchases.

Statistic 15

U.S. e-commerce plastic mailers: over 1 billion yearly.

Statistic 16

Takeout plastic containers: 150 billion used globally, U.S. 20% share.

Statistic 17

U.S. produces 2.5 billion cigarette butts with plastic filters yearly.

Statistic 18

Personal care products with plastic microbeads: billions discarded yearly pre-ban.

Statistic 19

U.S. tire wear contributes 0.23–0.46 million tons microplastics yearly.

Statistic 20

Synthetic clothing washing releases 0.5 million tons microfibers yearly in U.S.

Statistic 21

U.S. discards 80% of plastic packaging immediately after use.

Statistic 22

91% of plastic bags purchased in U.S. used once then discarded.

Statistic 23

U.S. plastic cup usage: 25 million per Starbucks store annually.

Statistic 24

U.S. microplastics from waste: 300,000 tons enter oceans yearly.

Statistic 25

Great Pacific Garbage Patch has 1.8 trillion plastic pieces, 80k tons, much from U.S.

Statistic 26

U.S. contributes 10% of global plastic ocean pollution.

Statistic 27

8 million tons plastic enter oceans globally yearly, U.S. 0.8M tons share.

Statistic 28

U.S. rivers contribute 80,000 tons microplastics to oceans annually.

Statistic 29

Tire wear microplastics: 11,000–34,000 tons to U.S. waterways yearly.

Statistic 30

U.S. beaches collect 250,000 tons plastic debris yearly.

Statistic 31

Cigarette butts: 2 billion litter U.S. beaches yearly, plastic filters.

Statistic 32

Plastic bags kill 100,000 marine mammals in U.S. waters yearly.

Statistic 33

Microplastics in U.S. tap water: 94% samples contaminated.

Statistic 34

U.S. seafood contains 200 plastic particles per kg on average.

Statistic 35

Landfill leachate releases 100,000 tons microplastics yearly U.S.

Statistic 36

U.S. atmospheric microplastic deposition: 4,000 tons yearly.

Statistic 37

Great Lakes plastic pollution: 10,000 tons floating yearly, from U.S.

Statistic 38

U.S. plastic waste costs $11 billion in environmental damage yearly.

Statistic 39

700 marine species affected by U.S.-origin plastics.

Statistic 40

Plastic in U.S. soil: 4.3% by weight in agricultural areas.

Statistic 41

U.S. birds ingest 14,000 tons plastics yearly.

Statistic 42

Microplastics in U.S. bottled water: 10.4 particles per liter.

Statistic 43

U.S. wastewater treatment releases 8,000 tons microplastics yearly.

Statistic 44

Gulf of Mexico dead zones exacerbated by 50,000 tons plastic debris.

Statistic 45

U.S. plastic incineration emits 250 million tons CO2 equivalent yearly.

Statistic 46

In 2018, U.S. municipal solid waste included 35.7 million tons of plastics, representing 12.2% of total MSW generated.

Statistic 47

The U.S. generated approximately 42 million metric tons of plastic waste in 2016, equivalent to 130 kg per person annually.

Statistic 48

From 1960 to 2018, the annual generation of plastics in U.S. MSW rose from 0.39 million tons to 35.7 million tons.

Statistic 49

In 2021, U.S. plastic resin production reached 50.2 billion pounds, a key input to waste generation.

Statistic 50

Durable goods plastics in U.S. MSW generation totaled 10.8 million tons in 2018, up 11% from 2017.

Statistic 51

Nondurable goods like plastic bags and sacks generated 5.5 million tons in U.S. MSW in 2018.

Statistic 52

Containers and packaging plastics accounted for 14.5 million tons of U.S. MSW generation in 2018.

Statistic 53

U.S. plastic waste generation per capita was 130 kg/year in 2019, second highest globally after Ireland.

Statistic 54

Between 2010 and 2019, U.S. plastic waste generation increased by 15%, reaching 40.5 million tons.

Statistic 55

PET bottles alone contributed 3.2 million tons to U.S. plastic MSW in 2018.

Statistic 56

HDPE natural bottles generated 0.85 million tons in U.S. MSW in 2018.

Statistic 57

U.S. generated 2.8 million tons of polystyrene foam packaging in 2018.

Statistic 58

Film plastics like trash bags totaled 4.8 million tons in U.S. MSW generation in 2018.

Statistic 59

Other plastics category generated 7.1 million tons in U.S. MSW in 2018.

Statistic 60

U.S. plastic production capacity expanded to 112 billion pounds by 2022.

Statistic 61

In 2020, U.S. discarded 6.3 million tons of plastic shopping bags and pouches.

Statistic 62

Rigid packaging plastics generation reached 5.9 million tons in 2018 U.S. MSW.

Statistic 63

U.S. generated 1.2 million tons of plastic plates and cups in 2018.

Statistic 64

Electronics plastics contributed 1.1 million tons to U.S. MSW in 2018.

Statistic 65

Plastic utensils generation was 0.4 million tons in U.S. MSW 2018.

Statistic 66

U.S. tire rubber, a plastic-related waste, generated 4.5 million tons in 2018.

Statistic 67

In 2017, U.S. plastic waste from packaging was 80% of total plastic waste generated.

Statistic 68

Annual U.S. plastic waste from single-use items exceeds 10 million tons.

Statistic 69

U.S. generates more than 40 billion plastic utensils yearly.

Statistic 70

99 billion plastic bags used annually in U.S., contributing to waste stream.

Statistic 71

U.S. discards 500 million plastic straws daily, totaling 182 billion yearly.

Statistic 72

Coffee cups with plastic lids: 25 billion discarded yearly in U.S.

Statistic 73

U.S. plastic bottle production: 50 billion per year.

Statistic 74

Takeout containers: 57 billion plastic ones used annually in U.S.

Statistic 75

Plastic cutlery: 85 billion pieces discarded yearly in U.S.

Statistic 76

In 2018, 27 million tons of U.S. plastics went to landfills.

Statistic 77

Landfill disposal of plastics was 76% of generated U.S. MSW plastics in 2018.

Statistic 78

U.S. incinerated 5.5 million tons of plastics in MSW in 2018, 15% of total.

Statistic 79

Over 80% of U.S. plastic waste ends in landfills or incinerators annually.

Statistic 80

U.S. landfills hold 3.4 million tons of plastic bags yearly addition.

Statistic 81

Plastic films in landfills: 4.2 million tons in 2018 U.S. MSW.

Statistic 82

Durable goods plastics landfilled: 8.9 million tons in 2018.

Statistic 83

Container plastics to landfill: 11.6 million tons in 2018 U.S.

Statistic 84

U.S. energy recovery from plastic incineration: 16 million MMBtu in 2018.

Statistic 85

Plastics comprise 13% of U.S. landfill volume by weight in 2020.

Statistic 86

Annual U.S. plastic to landfills: 29 million tons, enough to circle Earth 6 times if bags.

Statistic 87

Only 5-6% U.S. plastics diverted from landfill/incineration via recycling.

Statistic 88

U.S. incinerators emit 5.9 million tons CO2 equivalent from plastics yearly.

Statistic 89

Landfilled plastics release 23 million tons methane annually in U.S.

Statistic 90

94% of U.S. plastic packaging waste landfilled or incinerated.

Statistic 91

California landfills 1.5 million tons plastics yearly.

Statistic 92

New York State plastic waste to landfills: 2.1 million tons in 2019.

Statistic 93

Texas incinerates 0.8 million tons plastics annually.

Statistic 94

U.S. plastic waste in landfills projected to triple by 2050.

Statistic 95

75% of U.S. single-use plastics end in landfills.

Statistic 96

Polystyrene foam to U.S. landfills: 2.3 million tons yearly.

Statistic 97

PET containers landfilled: 2.6 million tons in 2018 U.S.

Statistic 98

HDPE landfilled: 2.1 million tons in 2018.

Statistic 99

U.S. recycling rate for plastics: 8.7% in 2018, rest landfill/incinerated.

Statistic 100

In 2018, U.S. recycled 3.1 million tons of plastics from MSW.

Statistic 101

PET recycling rate in U.S.: 29.1% in 2019, 0.94 million tons.

Statistic 102

HDPE recycling: 29.3% rate, recycling 0.85 million tons in 2018.

Statistic 103

U.S. plastic bag recycling: less than 1% of 100 billion used yearly.

Statistic 104

Overall U.S. plastics recycling rate declined to 5% by 2021.

Statistic 105

1.9 million tons of plastic containers recycled in U.S. 2018.

Statistic 106

Durable goods plastics recycled: 1.2 million tons in 2018.

Statistic 107

Compostable plastics recycling negligible, under 0.1 million tons yearly.

Statistic 108

U.S. exports of plastic scrap dropped 92% post-China ban, from 1.2M to 0.1M tons.

Statistic 109

Mechanical recycling processes 2 million tons U.S. plastics annually.

Statistic 110

Chemical recycling pilots handle 10,000 tons U.S. plastics yearly.

Statistic 111

California recycled 9.5% of plastics in 2020.

Statistic 112

Bottle bill states recycle 5x more PET than average.

Statistic 113

U.S. recycled 580,000 tons HDPE bottles in 2019.

Statistic 114

Film recycling: 0.6 million tons in U.S. 2018.

Statistic 115

Polystyrene recycling rate: under 5% nationally.

Statistic 116

U.S. generates 700,000 tons recycled plastic pellets yearly.

Statistic 117

Only 9% of all plastic ever produced recycled, U.S. similar.

Statistic 118

Post-consumer recycled PET in U.S.: 18% of bottles in 2020.

Statistic 119

U.S. plastic recycling jobs: 100,000+ employed.

Statistic 120

Advanced recycling capacity: 2 million tons targeted by 2025.

Statistic 121

Municipal plastic recycling programs collect 3.4 million tons yearly.

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Picture this: every person in America is responsible for adding over 280 pounds of plastic to a crushing pile of waste each year, a staggering weight that reveals the true scale of our disposable culture.

Key Takeaways

In 2018, U.S. municipal solid waste included 35.7 million tons of plastics, representing 12.2% of total MSW generated.
The U.S. generated approximately 42 million metric tons of plastic waste in 2016, equivalent to 130 kg per person annually.
From 1960 to 2018, the annual generation of plastics in U.S. MSW rose from 0.39 million tons to 35.7 million tons.
U.S. households throw away 40% of their food, much in plastic packaging.
Americans use 500 million plastic straws daily, averaging 1-2 per person.
Average American consumes 74 million plastic water bottles yearly per million people.
In 2018, 27 million tons of U.S. plastics went to landfills.
Landfill disposal of plastics was 76% of generated U.S. MSW plastics in 2018.
U.S. incinerated 5.5 million tons of plastics in MSW in 2018, 15% of total.
In 2018, U.S. recycled 3.1 million tons of plastics from MSW.
PET recycling rate in U.S.: 29.1% in 2019, 0.94 million tons.
HDPE recycling: 29.3% rate, recycling 0.85 million tons in 2018.
U.S. microplastics from waste: 300,000 tons enter oceans yearly.
Great Pacific Garbage Patch has 1.8 trillion plastic pieces, 80k tons, much from U.S.
U.S. contributes 10% of global plastic ocean pollution.

The U.S. creates immense amounts of plastic waste, with most ending up in landfills or polluting the environment.

Consumption Statistics

U.S. households throw away 40% of their food, much in plastic packaging.
Americans use 500 million plastic straws daily, averaging 1-2 per person.
Average American consumes 74 million plastic water bottles yearly per million people.
U.S. plastic packaging consumption: 146 pounds per person annually in 2018.
Single-use plastic bags: 102 billion consumed yearly in U.S.
U.S. consumers buy 29.7 billion plastic water bottles annually.
Plastic in food packaging: 40% of U.S. plastic use.
Average U.S. household uses 1,500 plastic bags per year.
U.S. fast food chains serve 8 billion plastic utensils yearly.
Coffee shop plastic cups: 25 billion used per year in U.S.
U.S. supermarket plastic bags: 100 billion annually.
Per capita plastic consumption in U.S.: 109 kg/year including packaging.
U.S. beverage containers: 70 billion plastic ones consumed yearly.
Plastic wrap and films used in 40% of U.S. grocery purchases.
U.S. e-commerce plastic mailers: over 1 billion yearly.
Takeout plastic containers: 150 billion used globally, U.S. 20% share.
U.S. produces 2.5 billion cigarette butts with plastic filters yearly.
Personal care products with plastic microbeads: billions discarded yearly pre-ban.
U.S. tire wear contributes 0.23–0.46 million tons microplastics yearly.
Synthetic clothing washing releases 0.5 million tons microfibers yearly in U.S.
U.S. discards 80% of plastic packaging immediately after use.
91% of plastic bags purchased in U.S. used once then discarded.
U.S. plastic cup usage: 25 million per Starbucks store annually.

Consumption Statistics Interpretation

We have mastered the art of wrapping our planet in a single-use plastic shroud, one straw, bag, and bottle at a time.

Environmental and Ocean Impact Statistics

U.S. microplastics from waste: 300,000 tons enter oceans yearly.
Great Pacific Garbage Patch has 1.8 trillion plastic pieces, 80k tons, much from U.S.
U.S. contributes 10% of global plastic ocean pollution.
8 million tons plastic enter oceans globally yearly, U.S. 0.8M tons share.
U.S. rivers contribute 80,000 tons microplastics to oceans annually.
Tire wear microplastics: 11,000–34,000 tons to U.S. waterways yearly.
U.S. beaches collect 250,000 tons plastic debris yearly.
Cigarette butts: 2 billion litter U.S. beaches yearly, plastic filters.
Plastic bags kill 100,000 marine mammals in U.S. waters yearly.
Microplastics in U.S. tap water: 94% samples contaminated.
U.S. seafood contains 200 plastic particles per kg on average.
Landfill leachate releases 100,000 tons microplastics yearly U.S.
U.S. atmospheric microplastic deposition: 4,000 tons yearly.
Great Lakes plastic pollution: 10,000 tons floating yearly, from U.S.
U.S. plastic waste costs $11 billion in environmental damage yearly.
700 marine species affected by U.S.-origin plastics.
Plastic in U.S. soil: 4.3% by weight in agricultural areas.
U.S. birds ingest 14,000 tons plastics yearly.
Microplastics in U.S. bottled water: 10.4 particles per liter.
U.S. wastewater treatment releases 8,000 tons microplastics yearly.
Gulf of Mexico dead zones exacerbated by 50,000 tons plastic debris.
U.S. plastic incineration emits 250 million tons CO2 equivalent yearly.

Environmental and Ocean Impact Statistics Interpretation

It's a grim comedy where we are both the audience and the stagehands, spending billions to meticulously distribute our plastic refuse from the highest atmosphere to the deepest ocean, only to then meticulously collect it in our water, food, and even our own bodies.

Generation Statistics

In 2018, U.S. municipal solid waste included 35.7 million tons of plastics, representing 12.2% of total MSW generated.
The U.S. generated approximately 42 million metric tons of plastic waste in 2016, equivalent to 130 kg per person annually.
From 1960 to 2018, the annual generation of plastics in U.S. MSW rose from 0.39 million tons to 35.7 million tons.
In 2021, U.S. plastic resin production reached 50.2 billion pounds, a key input to waste generation.
Durable goods plastics in U.S. MSW generation totaled 10.8 million tons in 2018, up 11% from 2017.
Nondurable goods like plastic bags and sacks generated 5.5 million tons in U.S. MSW in 2018.
Containers and packaging plastics accounted for 14.5 million tons of U.S. MSW generation in 2018.
U.S. plastic waste generation per capita was 130 kg/year in 2019, second highest globally after Ireland.
Between 2010 and 2019, U.S. plastic waste generation increased by 15%, reaching 40.5 million tons.
PET bottles alone contributed 3.2 million tons to U.S. plastic MSW in 2018.
HDPE natural bottles generated 0.85 million tons in U.S. MSW in 2018.
U.S. generated 2.8 million tons of polystyrene foam packaging in 2018.
Film plastics like trash bags totaled 4.8 million tons in U.S. MSW generation in 2018.
Other plastics category generated 7.1 million tons in U.S. MSW in 2018.
U.S. plastic production capacity expanded to 112 billion pounds by 2022.
In 2020, U.S. discarded 6.3 million tons of plastic shopping bags and pouches.
Rigid packaging plastics generation reached 5.9 million tons in 2018 U.S. MSW.
U.S. generated 1.2 million tons of plastic plates and cups in 2018.
Electronics plastics contributed 1.1 million tons to U.S. MSW in 2018.
Plastic utensils generation was 0.4 million tons in U.S. MSW 2018.
U.S. tire rubber, a plastic-related waste, generated 4.5 million tons in 2018.
In 2017, U.S. plastic waste from packaging was 80% of total plastic waste generated.
Annual U.S. plastic waste from single-use items exceeds 10 million tons.
U.S. generates more than 40 billion plastic utensils yearly.
99 billion plastic bags used annually in U.S., contributing to waste stream.
U.S. discards 500 million plastic straws daily, totaling 182 billion yearly.
Coffee cups with plastic lids: 25 billion discarded yearly in U.S.
U.S. plastic bottle production: 50 billion per year.
Takeout containers: 57 billion plastic ones used annually in U.S.
Plastic cutlery: 85 billion pieces discarded yearly in U.S.

Generation Statistics Interpretation

Our staggering plastic footprint, which has ballooned from a mere trickle to a torrent of over 40 million tons annually, is a monument to modern convenience meticulously wrapped for the landfill.

Landfill and Incineration Statistics

In 2018, 27 million tons of U.S. plastics went to landfills.
Landfill disposal of plastics was 76% of generated U.S. MSW plastics in 2018.
U.S. incinerated 5.5 million tons of plastics in MSW in 2018, 15% of total.
Over 80% of U.S. plastic waste ends in landfills or incinerators annually.
U.S. landfills hold 3.4 million tons of plastic bags yearly addition.
Plastic films in landfills: 4.2 million tons in 2018 U.S. MSW.
Durable goods plastics landfilled: 8.9 million tons in 2018.
Container plastics to landfill: 11.6 million tons in 2018 U.S.
U.S. energy recovery from plastic incineration: 16 million MMBtu in 2018.
Plastics comprise 13% of U.S. landfill volume by weight in 2020.
Annual U.S. plastic to landfills: 29 million tons, enough to circle Earth 6 times if bags.
Only 5-6% U.S. plastics diverted from landfill/incineration via recycling.
U.S. incinerators emit 5.9 million tons CO2 equivalent from plastics yearly.
Landfilled plastics release 23 million tons methane annually in U.S.
94% of U.S. plastic packaging waste landfilled or incinerated.
California landfills 1.5 million tons plastics yearly.
New York State plastic waste to landfills: 2.1 million tons in 2019.
Texas incinerates 0.8 million tons plastics annually.
U.S. plastic waste in landfills projected to triple by 2050.
75% of U.S. single-use plastics end in landfills.
Polystyrene foam to U.S. landfills: 2.3 million tons yearly.
PET containers landfilled: 2.6 million tons in 2018 U.S.
HDPE landfilled: 2.1 million tons in 2018.
U.S. recycling rate for plastics: 8.7% in 2018, rest landfill/incinerated.

Landfill and Incineration Statistics Interpretation

In 2018, America’s grand plan for plastic waste was a spectacularly successful failure, managing to bury, burn, or otherwise mishandle over 94% of it, as if our landfills were a final, permanent tribute to our own disposable ingenuity.

Recycling Statistics

In 2018, U.S. recycled 3.1 million tons of plastics from MSW.
PET recycling rate in U.S.: 29.1% in 2019, 0.94 million tons.
HDPE recycling: 29.3% rate, recycling 0.85 million tons in 2018.
U.S. plastic bag recycling: less than 1% of 100 billion used yearly.
Overall U.S. plastics recycling rate declined to 5% by 2021.
1.9 million tons of plastic containers recycled in U.S. 2018.
Durable goods plastics recycled: 1.2 million tons in 2018.
Compostable plastics recycling negligible, under 0.1 million tons yearly.
U.S. exports of plastic scrap dropped 92% post-China ban, from 1.2M to 0.1M tons.
Mechanical recycling processes 2 million tons U.S. plastics annually.
Chemical recycling pilots handle 10,000 tons U.S. plastics yearly.
California recycled 9.5% of plastics in 2020.
Bottle bill states recycle 5x more PET than average.
U.S. recycled 580,000 tons HDPE bottles in 2019.
Film recycling: 0.6 million tons in U.S. 2018.
Polystyrene recycling rate: under 5% nationally.
U.S. generates 700,000 tons recycled plastic pellets yearly.
Only 9% of all plastic ever produced recycled, U.S. similar.
Post-consumer recycled PET in U.S.: 18% of bottles in 2020.
U.S. plastic recycling jobs: 100,000+ employed.
Advanced recycling capacity: 2 million tons targeted by 2025.
Municipal plastic recycling programs collect 3.4 million tons yearly.

Recycling Statistics Interpretation

The U.S. report card on plastic recycling shows a nation that was already barely passing, but then decided to flunk entirely when it could no longer just pass the trash to someone else.

Sources & References

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