Waste-To-Value Infrastructure Opportunity

US recycling and disposal data highlights the ongoing need for waste-to-value infrastructure, landfill diversion, resource recovery, and municipal circular economy planning. A new study reports that Americans recycle 28.5 percent of their waste, or 110.4 million tons, but greater amounts — 248.6 million tons or 64 percent — are sent to landfill, while the remaining 7.4 percent are burned in mostly waste-to-energy plants.

The report, released appropriately on Earth Day, was conducted by BioCycle in conjunction with the Earth Engineering Center of Columbia University.

The 2006 State Of Garbage In America

The national recycling rate increased from 26.7 percent in 2002 to 28.5 percent in 2004, with the nation producing 387.9 million tons of garbage in 2004, or 1.3 tons per person per year of municipal solid waste.

States with the highest recycling rates, above 40 percent, include Oregon at 45.8 percent, Minnesota at 43.2 percent, New York at 43.0 percent, Tennessee at 42.2 percent, and Washington at 40.5 percent. Regionally, the West leads in recycling at 38 percent, followed by the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes.

Why The Data Matters For Waste-To-Value Planning

For municipalities, infrastructure developers, and circular economy planners, the data underscores a persistent opportunity: improve landfill diversion, increase material recovery, and expand waste-to-value systems that turn discarded materials into energy and usable commodities.

Klean Industries supports organizations evaluating municipal solid waste, recycling, and energy recovery strategies through proven waste-to-value project experience.

Learn More:

• Solid waste recycling and energy recovery
• Municipal waste gasification facility
• Energy-from-waste combined heat and power

Turn Discarded Materials Into Energy And Commodities

Klean Industries helps municipalities and developers expand waste-to-value infrastructure that reduces landfill dependence and recovers resources.

Our energy-from-waste and material-recovery systems convert municipal solid waste into clean power and recoverable feedstock, strengthening domestic recycling capacity and diversion rates.

Ready to turn discarded materials into energy and commodities?

Contact Klean Industries about municipal solid waste and energy-from-waste project development » GO.