Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage, consists of everyday items discarded by the public, from food scraps to newspapers to packaging and clothing. Municipal solid waste comes from households, commercial establishments, and health facilities and is collected by waste haulers.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. generated 254 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2013 (before recycling), broken down into these categories:
Paper (27%)
Food (14.6%)
Yard trimmings (13.5%)
Plastics (12.8%)
Metals (9.1%)
Rubber, leather, and textiles (9%)
Wood (6.2%)
Glass (4.5%)
Other (3.3%)
Many of these materials, including clean paper, metals, plastics, and glass, can be recycled. Per the EPA, best practices for reducing landfill waste include waste reduction and prevention, recycling, and composting of organic waste (food scraps, yard trimmings).
The statistics show why strategic handling of municipal waste is so important. In 2013, recycling and composting prevented more than 87 tons of municipal solid waste from ending up in landfills. This prevented the release of 186 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air that year—the equivalent of taking more than 39 million cars off the road.
Amarillo
City in Texas
Amarillo is a city in the Texas Panhandle. It’s a gateway to the vast, trail-lined Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The Cadillac Ranch is an installation of graffiti-decorated cars, partly buried in a field. With art deco and Spanish Revival buildings, the U.S. Route 66–Sixth Street Historic District is a hub for dining and antiques. The American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum is dedicated to the famous horse breed.