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List of MSW Characterization Studies

Below is a collection of state and local waste characterization studies; reports are not available for all states. This page is for reference purposes and is updated periodically.  Most reports Exit EPA’s website .  For additions, changes or updates, please send new reports to ORCRMeasurement@epa.gov.
Special thanks to Glenn Meyer from MPCA who developed the original listings.

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

Alabama Alabama: Economic Impact of Recycling in Alabama and Opportunities for Growth (2012) (PDF) (16 pp, 309 K)

Alaska No Report Available

Arizona No Report Available

Arkansas State of Recycling in Arkansas

California Cal Recycle Data Central (Numerous Characterization Reports and Data) California: Alameda County Waste Characterization Study (2008) (PDF) (571 pp, 2.59 MB) California: Palo Alto Waste Composition Study (2006) (PDF) (94 pp, 365 K) California: San Francisco Waste Characterization Study (2006) (PDF) (1 p, 7 K) California: Statewide Waste Characterization Study (2004) California: Statewide Waste Characterization Study (2008)

Colorado Colorado: Boulder County Waste Composition Study (2010) (PDF) (57 pp, 1.66 Mb) Colorado: Larimer County Two-season Waste Composition Study (2007) (PDF) (48 pp, 1.27 MB)

Connecticut Connecticut: State-wide Waste Composition and Characterization Study (2010) (PDF) (89 pp, 797 K)

Delaware No Report Available

District of Columbia Residential Waste Sort

Florida Florida: Alachua County Waste Composition Study (2010) (PDF) (93 pp, 2.50 MB) Florida: Pinellas County Waste Composition Study (2007) (PDF) (62 pp, 1.15 MB)

Georgia Georgia: Statewide Waste Characterization Study (2005) (PDF)

Hawaii Hawaii: City and County of Honolulu Waste Characterization Study (2006) (PDF) (58 pp, 227 K)

Idaho No Report Available

Illinois Illinois: Chicago Department of Environment Waste Characterization Study (2010) (PDF) (340 pp, 3.21 MBb) Illinois: Commodity/Waste Generation and Characterization Study (2009) (PDF) (323 pp, 6.77 MBb)

Indiana Indiana's new waste characterization study (2012) (PDF) (165 pp, 5.78 MB)

Iowa Iowa: Statewide Waste Characterization (1998) (PDF) (150 pp, 6.28 MB) Iowa: Statewide Waste Characterization (2006) (PDF) (170 pp, 1.74 MB) Iowa: Statewide Waste Characterization Study (2011) (PDF) (135 pp, 1.31 MB)

Kansas Kansas: Sedgwick County Waste Characterization Study (2013 Update) (PDF) (33 pp, 1.4 MB)

Kentucky No Report Available

Louisiana No Report Available

Maine Maine: Residential Waste Characterization Study (2011)

Maryland Maryland: Montgomery County Waste Composition Sampling and Analysis Study (2011-2012) (PDF) (107 pp, 1.18 MB)

Massachusetts No Report Available

Michigan No Report Available

Minnesota Minnesota: City of Red Wing Solid Waste Composition Study: Solid Waste Boiler Facility (2009) Minnesota: Construction, Demolition, and Industrial Waste Study (2007) (159 pp, 1.12 MB) Minnesota: Perham Resource Recovery Facility: Solid Waste Composition Study (2012) Minnesota: Solid Waste Composition Study: Covanta Hennepin Energy Resource Company (2012) Minnesota Statewide Waste Characterization Study (2013) Broader Information on the Minnesota MSW Composition Study

Mississippi No Report Available

Missouri Missouri: Waste Composition Study (2008) (PDF) (112 pp, 2.34 Mb)

Montana No Report Available

Nebraska Nebraska: State Waste Characterization Study (2009) (PDF) (2175 pp, 6.41 MB)

Nevada No Report Available

New Hampshire No Report Available

New Jersey No Report Available

New Mexico No Report Available

New York NYC: MSW Materials Composition in New York State

North Carolina North Carolina: Orange County Waste Characterization Study (2010)

North Dakota No Report Available

Ohio No Report Available

Oklahoma No Report Available

Oregon Oregon: Recycling Characterization and Composition Study (2009/2010) Oregon: Recycling Characterization and Composition Study (2006) Oregon: Waste Characterization and Composition Report (2002) (PDF) (102 pp, 1.29 MB)

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania: Statewide Municipal Waste Composition Study (2003)

Rhode Island No Report Available

South Carolina No Report Available

South Dakota South Dakota: Sioux Falls Regional Sanitary Landfill Waste Characterization Study (2007) (PDF) (106 pp, 3.20 MB)

Tennessee Tennessee: Waste Characterization Study (2008) (PDF) (64 pp, 698 K)

Texas No Report Available

Utah No Report Available

Vermont Vermont: Waste Composition Study (2013) (PDF) (44 pp, 1.47 MB)

Virginia No Report Available

Washington Washington: Statewide Waste Characterization Study (2010) (PDF) (135 pp, 2.37 MB) Washington: Thurston County Waste Composition Study (2009) (PDF) (104 pp, 729 K) Washington: Seattle Public Utilities Commission Waste Composition Reports Washington: Seattle Public Utilities Residential Waste Stream Composition Study (2010) (PDF) (88 pp, 889 K) King County Monitoring Program, 2007 Waste Characterization Study, June 2008 (PDF) (44 pp, 407 K)

West Virginia No Report Available

Wisconsin Wisconsin: State-wide Waste Characterization Study (2009) (PDF) (112 pp, 220 MB) Wisconsin: Statewide Waste Characterization Study (2003) (PDF) (114 pp, 738 K) Wisconsin: Waste Characterization and Management Study Update (2002) (PDF) (47 pp, 182 K)

Wyoming No Report Available

Other Reports EPA - U.S. EPA: MSW Characterization Reports Canada - Metro Vancouver Solid Waste Composition Study (2011) (PDF) (167 pp, 5.5 MB)

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