ZERO WASTE is the recycling of all materials back into nature or the marketplace in a manner that protects human health and the environment.
 

 


ZWA's 1998 U.S. "Municipal" Waste Management Report

 Data source: BIOCYCLE / Tables: ZWA

Back to: 1998 State of the Nation's Waste press release


Individual State Waste Management Performance is ranked by the following formula:

Waste Disposed (or Generated - Recycled) + Imports + Exports ÷ Population = Performance


ZERO WASTE AMERICA's ... TOP TEN!

RankBest 
Management
tons/person/yr
Worst 
Management
tons/person/yr
Generates 
Most
(tons/yr)
Recycles 
Most
 (% of generation)
Imports
Most
(tons/yr)
Exports
Most     
(tons/yr)
  1.South Dakota
0.400
Nevada
2.132
California
45,000,000
Washington
48%
Pennsylvania
6,300,000
New York
4,000,000
  2.Wisconsin
0.580
Kansas
1.879
New York
28,800,000
New Jersey
45%
Indiana
2,674,000
New Jersey
2,300,000
  3.North Dakota
0.628
South Caroline
1.588
Florida
23,617,000
Minn/S.Dakota
42%
Michigan
1,838,000
Missouri
1,756,000
  4.Colorado
0.649
Delaware
1.491
Texas
21,738,000
Maine
41%
Illinois
1,300,000
Maryland
1,200,000
  5.Oklahoma
0.663
Utah
1.484
Georgia
14,645,000
Florida/Tenn.
40%
Oregon
1,067,000
Washington
989,000
  6.Minnesota
0.679
New Hampshire
1.471
Michigan
13,500,000
New York
39%
Kansas
1,000,000
Ohio
600,000
  7.Idaho
0.732
Indiana
1.432
 Illinois
13,386,000
Arkansas
36%
Mississppi
800,000
Massachusetts
549,000
  8.Missouri
0.761
Hawaii
1.342
Ohio
12,339,000
Virginia
35%
New Hampshire
700,000
Minnesota 
412,000
  9.Lousiana
0.769
Georgia
1.333
North Carolina
9,843,000
South Carolina
34%
Ohio
668,000
California
408,000
10.Maine
0.784
Missouri
1.316
Tennessee
9,496,000
Georgia/Missouri/
Massachusetts
33%
Wisconsin
656,000
North Carolina
330,000

____________________________________________

U.S.Municipal Waste Management Performance Per Capita:
Note: Does not include foreign waste imports

YearU.S. PopulationMunicipal Waste
Generated
Percentage
Recycled
Municipal Waste 
Disposed
Tons Disposed
Per Capita
1990246,819,230269,000,0008247,480,0001.002
1991249,439,545293,613,00011.5259,847,0001.041
1992252,124,362280,675,00014241,380,0000.957
1993255,001,827291,742,00017242,146,0000.949
1994257,752,702306,866,00019248,561,0000.964
1995260,292,437322,879,00023248,617,0000.955
1996262,760,639326,709,00027238,498,0000.907
1997265,179,411327,460,00028235,771,0000.890
1998267,636,061340,466,00030238,326,0000.890

___________________________________________________

WASTE DATA FOR ALL 50 STATES AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:

State:Generation
tons/year
-% Re-
cycled
=Pre-
Disposal
(tons/
person)
Pre-
Rank
+ Imports(d)=Pre-export
Disposal
+Exports(d) 
(subtract for
total disposal)
÷ Population*=tons/
person
Final
Rank
Alabama           5,549,000-23%= 4, 272,730(0.989)37+ 205,000= 4,477,730+n/a)÷4,319,000=1.036727
Alaska   560,000-7%= 520,800(0.853)26+0=520,800+ 13,000÷ 609,000=0.87613
Arizona5,700,000-18%= 4,674,000(1.026)38+n/a=4,674,000+n/a÷ 4,555,000=1.02626
Arkansas4,287,000-36%=2,743,680(1.087)44+n/a=2,743,680+84,000÷ 2,523,000=1.12033
California45,000,000-30%=31,500,000(0.976)34+21,000=31,521,000+408,000÷ 32,268,000=0.98922
Colorado3,084,000-18%=2,528,880(0.649)11+n/a=2,528,880+n/a÷ 3,893,000=0.6494
Connecticut2,950,000-23%=2,271,500(0.694)13+465,558c=2,737,058+38,808c÷ 3,270,000=0.84811
Delaware1,189,000-31%=820,410(1.120)43+n/a=820,410+271,109c÷ 732,000=1.49148
Dist. of Columbia246,000-8%=226,320(.0427)3+0=226,320+235,000÷ 529,000=0.87212
Florida23,617,000-40%=14,170,200(0.966)32+n/a=14,170,200+n/a÷ 14,654,000=0.96619
Georgia14,645,000-33%=9,812,150(1.310)46+172,000=9,984,150+n/a÷ 7,486,000=1.33343
Hawaii2,125,000-25%=1,593,750(1.342)47+n/a=1,593,750+n/a÷ 1,187,000=1.34244
Idaho (2)886,000-n/a%=886,000(0.732)16+12,000c=898,000+27,700c÷ 1,210,000=0.7657
Illinois13,386,000-28%=9,637,920(0.810)23+1,300,000=10,937,920+1,022,353÷ 11,896,000=1.00525
Indiana7,171,000-23%=5,521,670(0.941)31+2,674,000=8,195,670+204,173÷ 5,864,000=1.43245
Iowa3,462,000-32%=2,354,160(0.825)24+306,000=2,660,160+182,000÷ 2,852,000=0.99623
Kansas (1)4,250,000-11%=3,782,500(1.457)48+1,000,000=4,782,500+94,000c÷ 2,595,000=1.87950
Kentucky4,418,000-28%=3,180,960(0.813)23+458,000=3,638,960+200,000c÷ 3,908,000=0.98220
Louisiana3,894,000-14%=3,348,840(0.769)20+28,584c=3,377,424+n/a÷ 4,352,000=0.7768
Maine(1)1,339,000-41%=790,010(0.636)10+142,640c=932,650+41,700c÷ 1,242,000=0.7849
Maryland5,329,000-29%=3,783,590(0.742)17+50,000=3,833,590+1,200,000÷ 5,094,000=0.98821
Massachusetts7,160,000-33%=4,797,200(0.784)21+516,000=5,313,200+549,000÷ 6,118,000=0.95818
Michigan13,500,000-25%=10,125,000(1.035)39+1,838,000=11,963,000+100,000c÷ 9,774,000=1.23441
Minnesota4,780,000-42%=2,772,400(0.591)7+0=2,772,400+412,000÷ 4,686,000=0.6796
Mississippi2,360,000-13%=2,053,200(0.751)18+800,000=2,853,200+n/a÷ 2,731,000=1.04428
Missouri7,896,000-33%=5,290,320(0.979)35+65,000=5,355,320+1,756,000÷ 5,402,000=1.31642
Montana1,039,000-5%=987,050(1.122)45+43,000=1,030,050+0÷ 879,000=1.17138
Nebraska(1)2,000,000-27%=1,460,000(0.881)29+78,000c=1,538,000+n/a÷ 1,657,000=0.92816
Nevada3,955,000-15%=3,361,750(2.000)51+215,000=3,576,750+n/a÷ 1,677,000=2.13251
New Hampshire1,200,000-25%=900,000(0.767)19+700,000=1,600,000+126,000÷ 1,173,000=1.47146
New Jersey8,200,000-45%=4,510,000(0.560)5+500,000=5,010,000+2,300,000÷ 8,053,000=0.90715
New Mexico1,400,000-12%=1,232,000(0.712)14+305,000=1,537,000+0÷ 1,730,000=0.88814
New York28,800,000-39%=17,568,000(0.968)33+122,862c=17,690,862+4,000,000÷ 18,137,000=1.19540
North Carolina9,843,000-26%=7,283,820(0.980)36+150,000=7,433,820+330,000÷ 7,425,000=1.04529
North Dakota510,000-21%=402,900(0.628)9+n/a=402,900+n/a÷ 641,000=0.6283
Ohio12,339,000-19%=9,994,590(0.893)30+668,000=10,662,590+600,000÷ 11,186,000=1.00625
Oklahoma2,500,000-12%=2,200,000(0.663)12+n/a=2,200,000+n/a÷ 3,317,000=0.6635
Oregon3,836,000-28%=2,761,920(0.851)25+1,067,000=3,828,920+17,000÷ 3,243,000=1.18539
Pennsylvania9,440,000-26%=6,985,600(0.581)6+6,300,000=13,285,600+300,000÷ 12,020,000=1.13034
Rhode Island477,000-23%=367,290(0.372)1+n/a=367,290+550,000c÷ 987,000=0.92917
South Carolina8,361,000-34%=5,518,260(1.467)49+454,000=5,972,260+0÷ 3,760,000=1.58849
South Dakota510,000-42%=295,800(0.400)2+n/a=295,800+n/a÷ 738,000=0.4001
Tennessee9,496,000-40%=5,697,600(1.061)41+168,000=5,865,600+76,000÷ 5,368,000=1.10631
Texas21,738,000-n/a%=21,738,000(1.118)42+103,000=21,841,000+250,000÷ 19,439,000=1.13636
Utah3,760,000-19%=3,045,600(1.479)50+10,000=3,055,600+0÷ 2,059,000=1.48447
Vermont600,000-30%=420,000(0.713)15+35,000c=455,000+200,000÷ 589,000=1.11232
Virginia9,000,000-35%=5,850,000(0.868)27+1,700,000c=7,550,000+100,000÷ 6,734,000=1.13635
Washington6,527,000-48%=3,394,040(0.604)8+275,000=3,669,040+989,000÷ 5,610,000=0.83010
West Virginia2,000,000-20%=1,600,000(0.881)28+300,000=1,900,000+200,000÷ 1,816,000=1.15637
Wisconsin (1)3,622,000-36%=2,318,080(0.448)4+656,000=2,974,080+26,196c÷ 5,170,000=0.5802
Wyoming530,000-5%=503,500(1.048)40+n/a=503,500+n/a÷ 480,000=1.04830

(1)-Based on 1995 data, (2)-Based on 1990 data, (c)-Congressional Research Serivce latest data (1995), (i) Incomplete information on Imports/Exports reported by 16 states reporting, * U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for 1997.
__________________________________________________________________


WASTE MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE RANKINGS:

STATES:PRE-
IMPORT/
EXPORT
PRE-
LIMINARY
RANK
POST
IMPORT/
EXPORT
FINAL
RANK
South Dakota(0.400)2=0.4001
Wisconsin (1)(0.448)4=0.5802
North Dakota(0.628)9=0.6283
Colorado(0.649)11=0.6494
Oklahoma(0.663)12=0.6635
Minnesota(0.591)7=0.6796
Idaho (2)(0.732)16=0.7657
Louisiana(0.769)20=0.7768
Maine(1)(0.636)10=0.7849
Washington(0.604)8=0.83010
Connecticut(0.694)13=0.84811
Dist. of Columbia(.0427)3=0.87212
Alaska(0.853)26=0.87613
New Mexico(0.712)14=0.88814
New Jersey(0.560)5=0.90715
Nebraska(1)(0.881)29=0.92816
Rhode Island(0.372)1=0.92917
Massachusetts(0.784)21=0.95818
Florida(0.966)32=0.96619
Kentucky(0.813)23=0.98220
Maryland(0.742)17=0.98821
California(0.976)34=0.98922
Iowa(0.825)24=0.99623
Illinois(0.810)22=1.00524
Ohio(0.893)30=1.00625
Arizona(1.026)38=1.02626
Alabama           (0.989)37=1.03627
Mississippi(0.751)18=1.04428
North Carolina(0.980)36=1.04529
Wyoming(1.048)40=1.04830
Tennessee(1.061)41=1.10631
Vermont(0.713)15=1.11232
Arkansas(1.087)44=1.12033
Pennsylvania(0.581)6=1.13034
Virginia(0.868)27=1.136035
Texas(1.118)42=1.136436
West Virginia(0.881)28=1.15637
Montana(1.122)45=1.17138
Oregon(0.851)25=1.18539
New York(0.968)33=1.19540
Michigan(1.035)39=1.23441
Missouri(0.979)35=1.31642
Georgia(1.310)46=1.33343
Hawaii(1.342)47=1.34244
Indiana(0.941)31=1.43245
New Hampshire(0.767)19=1.47146
Utah(1.479)50=1.48447
Delaware(1.120)43=1.49148
South Carolina(1.467)49=1.58849
Kansas (1)(1.457)48=1.87950
Nevada(2.000)51=2.13251

Back to: 1998 State of the Nation's Waste press release