EPA’s Facts and Figures: 

Plastics

Kimberly Cochran, Ph.D.

Chief, Sustainable Materials Branch

Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery

NIST Workshop: Data and Harmonization to Improve the Circularity of Plastics

January 24 - 26, 2023
EPA’s Facts and Figures: Background

• Annual national waste characterization since the 1980s

• Estimates national recycling, composting, incineration and 

landfilling quantities.

• Uses top-down, mass-balance material flows approach.

• Uses national economic data along with industry data and sampling 

studies.

• Materials covered: municipal solid waste - paper, glass, metals, plastics, textiles, rubber and wood.

• Newer stand-alone methods for C&D debris and food waste.

• Popular with stakeholders: 

• Most clicks on our website

• Estimated recycling rate of 32.1% (2018) is the most frequently- cited statistic.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2
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MSW Generation and Plastics

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 3
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Plastic Waste Management

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Of the approximately 36 million 

tons generated in 2018:

• 27 million tons landfilled

• 6 million tons combusted 

with energy recovery

• 3 million tons recycled 

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
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Now Moving to a Circular Economy Approach...

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Capitalize on EPA’s U.S. EEIO Models

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 6

• Update and expand USEEIO 

modeling to support:

• Goal measurement and methods.

• National estimates of waste 

generation, management, and 

leakage.

• Tracking materials and wastes and 

assess their related impacts 

throughout the economy

• Perform projections
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Path Forward: Describe Other Environmental and 

Social Impacts from Waste Management

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Location of active landfills in the United States near environmental justice 

communities, by landfill size

Source: EPA

Proximate to EJ commuity Not proximate to EJ community

• Cost

• GHG emissions

• Environmental contamination

• Environmental Justice

• Capacity
EPA is 

establishing a 

10-year vision 

that embraces 

circularity, 

sustainable 

materials 

management, 

addresses 

climate change, 

and 

environmental 

justice.

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Grant Programs

SWIFR

Grants 

for Political 

Subdivisions

Applications Due: Feb. 15

Grants for Tribes 

and Intertribal 

Consortia

Applications Due: April 4

Grants for States 

and Territories

Applications Due: Feb. 15

Recycling 

Education & 

Outreach

Tribal Webinars: 

Series 1: January 25th

Series 2: February 1st, 7th

epa.gov/infrastructure/grants-tribes-andintertribal-consortia#webinars

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SWIFR States and Territories 

• Eligible Entities: States and Territories

• Estimated Funding: About $30,000,0000

• Projects for states and territories may include:

1. Develop or update plans to advance post-consumer materials 

management

2. Develop, strengthen, and/or implement comprehensive data 

collection efforts that demonstrate progress towards the National 

Recycling Goal and Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal

3. Support the state-led implementation of plans

• Only for territories: equipment and construction

• epa.gov/rcra/grants-states-and-territories

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Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative 

(MRCTI)

• Through a 5-year MOU, EPA and MRCTI intend to:

• Engage with stakeholders in community-driven 

solutions for plastic pollution along the River

• Provide technical assistance to communities on 

waste management and pollution prevention to 

support their goals for reducing plastic pollution 

and managing materials sustainably.

• Data and measurement

• Analyzing impacts in communities

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THANK YOU!

For more information: 

epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling

epa.gov/RecyclingStrategy

EPARecycles@epa.gov 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency