California’s 2019 Per Capita Disposal Rate Estimate

In 2019, 42.2 million tons of material from California were disposed in out-of-state and in-state landfills . To calculate California’s recycling rate we add an additional 6.3 million tons of “disposal-related” materials, such as alternative daily cover, for a total of 48.6 million tons disposed. California has a population of 39.7 million residents and a per resident disposal rate of 6.7 pounds/resident/day, which is calculated using AB 341’s measurement system and a recycling rate of 37%.

California has clear and ambitious environmental goals for reducing waste and managing materials. While California is unlikely to meet the 75 percent recycling goal by 2020 as set out in AB 341, CalRecycle remains committed to achieving this goal. Implementation of new legislation, such as SB 1383 and SB 1335, are important steps in reducing waste and building new markets for recycled materials.

On December 15, 2020 California’s per capita disposal, diversion, and recycling rates for calendar year 2019 were presented at the CalRecycle public meeting. More detailed information on the per capita disposal rate and the statewide recycling rate can be found in the State of Disposal and Recycling Report for Calendar Year 2019.

Previous Years’ Statewide Disposal Rates

For more information contact: Local Assistance & Market Development, LAMD@calrecycle.ca.gov or (916) 341-6199.