Waste in the United States Waste in the United States As a nation, Americans generate more waste than any other nation in the world, officially with 4.4 pounds (2.0 kg) of municipal solid waste (MSW) per person per day, with another study estimating 7.1 pounds per capita per day. Fifty five percent of this waste is contributed as residential garbage, while the remaining forty five percent of waste in the U.S.'s ‘waste stream' comes from manufacturing, retailing, and commercial trade in the U.S. economy. Based on proprietary data released to the public, Nevada was named America's "Most Wasteful State" for the years 2005-2010; where each
Recycling in the Republic of Ireland amount of municipal waste generated per person per year in the Republic of Ireland has fallen significantly in recent years (from over 800 kg of waste in 2007 to 570 kg per person in 2012). This figure remains above the European Union annual municipal waste average of 503 kg per person however. Each local council in Ireland has considerable control over recycling, so recycling practices vary to some extent across the country. Most waste that is not recycled is disposed of in landfill sites. One noticeable success in Ireland's environmental track record was the introduction of a plastic bag levy