In the U.S., what portion of all municipal trash (measured by weight) is recycled, burned for energy, or composted?
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In the U.S., about 25% of municipal trash is recycled, 13% is burned for energy, and 9% is composted. This amounts to 47%, and the rest is placed in landfills. The most common types of municipal solid waste (by weight) are paper (27%), food scraps (15%), yard trimmings (14%), plastics (13%), metals (9%), rubber, leather and textiles (9%), wood (6%), and glass (4%).
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