March 17, 2010

5 Min Read
Profiles in Garbage

Profile in Garbage articles are waste fact sheets provided by Waste Age. Chaz Miller, state programs director for the National Solid Wastes Management Association, researches and writes the detailed overviews of each specific type of waste.

Waste Stream Categories

General Waste

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
Municipal solid waste (MSW) is the trash generated by households and businesses. For a second consecutive year, Americans produced less solid waste.

All MSW fact sheets: 2009 (current) | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005

Aseptic Boxes (Milk Cartons)
Aseptic boxes, also known as drink boxes, were introduced into the United States in 1981 to house liquids, primarily beverages such as milk, fruit juices and wine.

Food Waste
Food waste includes uneaten portions of meals and trimmings from food preparation. Food waste is the largest component of discarded waste by weight.

All food waste fact sheets: 2007 (current) | 2005 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1998 | 1996

Glass Containers
Glass containers are made from sand, limestone, soda ash, cullet (crushed bottles) and various additives, including those used to color brown, green or blue bottles. Lighter materials have helped cull glass from the waste stream.

All glass fact sheets: 2008 (current) | 2007 | 2005 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1998

Lead-Acid Batteries
Lead-acid batteries are the most recycled product in the United States. More than 80 percent of the lead produced in America is used in lead-acid batteries.

All battery fact sheets: 2007 (current) | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1998

Scrap Tires
Scrap tires present unique recycling and disposal challenges because they are heavy, bulky and made from a variety of materials. Scrap tire stockpiles have been reduced by 87 percent since 1990.

All tire fact sheets: 2008 (current) | 2006 | 2000 | 1999 | 1999 | 1997

Yard Waste
Yard waste is the most source-reduced item in the waste stream. Yard waste includes grass, leaves, and tree and brush trimmings.

All yard waste fact sheets: 2008 (current) | 2007 | 2005 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1997

Metal Waste

Aluminum Packaging
Aluminum packaging has never comprised more than 1 percent of generated MSW. Twenty-two percent of the aluminum used in America goes into packaging.

All aluminum fact sheets: 2008 (current) | 2006 | 2005 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

Steel Cans
Steel cans contain one third less metal than they did 20 years ago. Steel cans are made from tinplate steel, which is produced in basic oxygen furnaces.

All steel fact sheets: 2007 (current) | 2006 | 2003 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996

Paper Waste

Corrugated Boxes
Corrugated boxes are named for the fluted inner layer that is sandwiched between layers of linerboard. Corrugated boxes are the most recycled product in the waste stream by weight.

All corrugated container fact sheets: 2008 (current) | 2006 | 2005 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

Magazines
Unique, clay-coated paper makes magazines difficult to recycle. Catalogs also are primarily printed on coated, ground wood paper.

All magazine fact sheets: 2006 (current) | 2003 | 2001 | 1997

Newspapers
The most substantial component of curbside recycling is fast disappearing. Despite declining readership, however, newspapers remain a key curbside recyclable.

All newspaper fact sheets: 2008 (current) | 2006 | 2005 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1999 | 1999

Office Paper
Office paper recycling has more than quadrupled since 1960. Office paper is a generic name given to a wide variety of paper products used in offices and businesses, including writing, computer and copying paper.

All office paper fact sheets: 2007 (current) | 2006 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

Plastic Waste

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin is produced from the chemical compound ethylene. All HDPE products have a garbage market share of 2 percent.

All HDPE plastic fact sheets: 2008 (current) | 2007 | 2005 | 2001 | 2000 | 1998 | 1997

Plastic Film
Different resins and colors make plastic film difficult to recycle. Examples include grocery sacks, trash bags, drycleaning bags and plastic wrap.

All plastic film fact sheets: 2008 (current) | 2006 | 2005 | 2001 | 2000 | 1998mag/waste_profiles_garbage_highdensity/">1998 | 1997

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a plastic resin used to make bottles for soft drinks and other household and consumer products. Exports became the largest market for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in 2007.

All PET plastic fact sheets: 2007 (current) | 2005 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998

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