Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 9.1
The composition of the USMSW stream of 250 million tons
generated in the year 2010.
Plastics account for only about 12% by weight of the MSW in the United
States (globally it is ~10%), amounting to about 30 MMT annually. This is
an average value for the US; data at the state level show values as high as
17% in locations such as New York. With both the population and per capita
consumption on the increase, the amount of plastics waste ending up in the
MSW stream will continue to increase in the future.
