The second chart shows the positive impacts of recycling and composting in some of the categories. Notice how while “Yard Trimmings” is close to “Food” in total generation, it is considerably less in total amount landfilled. This is because the majority of the composting programs in the United States today only accept yard waste, and do not accept food waste. Also notice how “Food” and “Plastics” both increase as a percentage of total material landilled once the data is adjusted for recycling and composting. This shows how infrequently (on a relative basis) “Food” is getting composted and “Plastics” are getting recycled.

The Solution
Commercial compost facilities that accept food scraps and certified compostable packaging in addition to yard trimmings, combined with municipal collection programs for businesses and households,  are the solution to diverting more of these materials from landfills. 

Additional Resources
https://www.refed.com/

https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/sustainable-management-food-basics

https://www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste/why