Gitnux/Report 2026

Waste Industry Statistics

Waste is projected to keep rising, from 2.01 billion metric tons globally in 2016 to 3.4 billion metric tons by 2050, while only about 9% of municipal waste is being recycled and roughly 33% ends up dumped. This page connects those outcomes to the real pressure points, including the waste sector’s 7% share of global greenhouse gas emissions and the gap in safely managed sanitation, so you can see exactly where material losses turn into climate and public health costs.
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Waste Industry Statistics
Emilia SantosWritten by Emilia Santos·Edited by Yumi Nakamura·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval
Last verified Jun 22, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Verify

Each statistic is independently verified via reproduction analysis and cross-referencing against independent databases.

03Grade

Figures are graded by cross-model consensus. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited.

04Cite

Every figure carries a primary source. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates so the report can be cited.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Next review Dec 2026
Global waste generation is projected to rise from 2.01 billion metric tons in 2016 to 3.4 billion metric tons per year by 2050. Around 33% of waste generated is not collected, which widens the gap before any recycling or treatment can happen. The waste sector also contributes about 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Key Takeaways

  • 2.01 billion metric tons of waste were generated globally in 2016
  • 3.4 billion metric tons of waste were generated globally in 2050 (projected)
  • 33% of waste generated is not collected (global estimate)
  • In the U.S., 81% of U.S. households participate in recycling programs (ICF estimate for EPA report)
  • In the U.S., 52% of households say recycling helps the environment (survey figure)
  • In the U.S., 79% of people report using a recycling bin at home (survey figure)
  • U.S. EPA reported 67.7 million tons of materials were recovered in 2018 (recycling/composting)
  • U.S. EPA reported 146.0 million tons of municipal solid waste were landfilled in 2018
  • U.S. EPA reported 35.1 million tons of municipal solid waste were composted in 2018

Global waste generation is surging, yet only about 9% of municipal waste is recycled worldwide.

Related reading

02 · Category

User Adoption8 stats

01
In the U.S., 81% of U.S. households participate in recycling programs (ICF estimate for EPA report)
02
In the U.S., 52% of households say recycling helps the environment (survey figure)
03
In the U.S., 79% of people report using a recycling bin at home (survey figure)
04
In the U.S., 60% of households say they are confident about what materials are recyclable (survey figure)
05
In the EU, 74% of Europeans think recycling is important (Eurobarometer 2020 survey)
06
In the EU, 37% of Europeans report sorting waste at home (Eurobarometer survey figure)
07
In the EU, 82% of Europeans say they recycle at least one material (Eurobarometer survey figure)
08
In the EU, 63% of Europeans are aware of recycling rules (Eurobarometer survey figure)
Interpretation

User Adoption Interpretation

In both the U.S. and the EU, recycling is widely adopted and valued, but understanding is the weak spot, with 81% of U.S. households in recycling programs and 74% of Europeans saying it is important while only 60% of Americans feel confident about what is recyclable and just 63% of Europeans know the recycling rules.

More related reading

03 · Category

Performance Metrics16 stats

01
U.S. EPA reported 67.7 million tons of materials were recovered in 2018 (recycling/composting)
02
U.S. EPA reported 146.0 million tons of municipal solid waste were landfilled in 2018
03
U.S. EPA reported 35.1 million tons of municipal solid waste were composted in 2018
04
In the U.S., 41.4% of plastic packaging is recycled (2020 estimate via report)
05
In the EU, 46.1% of packaging waste is recycled (2022 estimate)
06
In the EU, 69% of glass packaging waste is recycled (2022 estimate)
07
In the EU, 81% of paper and cardboard packaging waste is recycled (2022 estimate)
08
In the EU, 34% of plastic packaging waste is recycled (2022 estimate)
09
In the EU, 88% of metal packaging waste is recycled (2022 estimate)
10
In the EU, 66% of wood packaging waste is recycled (2022 estimate)
11
In the EU, 40% of municipal waste is recycled and composted (2022 statistic for EU)
12
In the EU, 18% of municipal waste is landfilled (2022)
13
In the EU, 26% of municipal waste is incinerated (2022)
14
In the EU, 47.3% municipal waste recycling rate includes recycling plus composting where applicable (2022 Eurostat explained)
15
U.S. EPA reported that 94.4 million tons of materials were landfilled in 2018 (includes some MSW categories)
16
U.S. EPA estimated 9% of MSW was composted in 2018 (EPA MSW summary)
Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

In 2018 the U.S. recovered 67.7 million tons through recycling and composting but still landfilled about 146.0 million tons of municipal solid waste, showing a far larger disposal stream than diverted materials.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Waste Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/waste-industry-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Waste Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/waste-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Waste Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/waste-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

12 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

worldbank.orgoecd.orgipcc.chwho.intec.europa.euepa.goveuropa.eueur-lex.europa.euplasticseurope.org

+3 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)