State of Disposal and Recycling in California

 

Information on California’s waste management activities, waste generation, disposal, and the statewide recycling rate.

Calendar Year 2024

Every year, CalRecycle measures California’s progress on our statewide goal to recycle 75% of all the waste we produce. 

The department calculates how much waste California: 

  • Generates 
  • Sends to landfills 
  • Recycles and 
  • Exports to other countries for recycling. 

Together, this data provides California’s recycling rate for all waste materials and insight into the state’s recycling infrastructure. 

 

California is building a circular economy that can recycle all waste by: 

  • Reducing how much trash we make 
  • Creating responsible recycling markets. 

This data highlights California’s improvements over the years and ongoing barriers to a circular economy. 

Key Takeaways

Waste Generation and Recycling in California
2024

77.2
Million
Tons of Waste
Generated   
100% =

32.4
Million
Tons of
Waste Recycled
42%  +

44.7
Million
Tons 
Landfilled
58%

Disposal Related

58% =

53%                   +
Total Landfill – 40.5 Million Tons
Including:
Disaster Debris – 21,277 Tons
Designated Waste Disposal – 449,466 Tons

5%
All Other Disposal and Disposal Related Activities
4.2 Million Tons

6.2 lbs
of trash per person per day
trash bags

Recycling Related

42% =

shipping container ship

13%                      +
Exported Recyclables
10.2 Million Tons

29%
Recycling, Source Reduction, Compost, Anaerobic Digestion, and Mulch
22.2 Million Tons

Waste Generation and Recycling in California 2024 

Estimated Management of 77.2 Million Tons of Materials Generated in California. 

  • Landfill 53% 53%
  • Source Reduction, Recycling, and Compost 28% 28%
  • Exported Recyclables (Seaborne) 13% 13%
  • Alternative Daily Cover (ADC) Non-Green Material 3% 3%
  • Exported Recyclables to Mexico 1% 1%
  • Beneficial Reuse – Construction 1% 1%
  • Transformation: Less than 1%
  • ADC Green Material: Less than 1%
  • Beneficial Reuse – Landscaping: Less than 1%
  • Alternative Intermediate Cover (AIC): Less than 1%
  • Waste-Tire Derived Fuel: Less than 1%
  • Engineered Municipal Solid Waste (EMSW): 0%   

CalRecycle derived quantities of landfilled waste and disposal-related tonnages such as transformation, ADC, AIC, EMSW, and other beneficial reuse from the Recycling and Disposal Reporting System (RDRS). No EMSW was reported in 2024. CalRecycle collected exported recyclables data from WISERTrade. Accessed October 2025.

Disposal-Related Tonnage in California in 2024

  • Non-Green Material ADC 63% 63%
  • Construction Beneficial Reuse 22% 22%
  • Landscape Beneficial Reuse 7% 7%
  • Transformation 4% 4%
  • Green Material ADC 2% 2%
  • AIC 2% 2%

Waste Tire-Derived Fuel: Less than 1%
Engineered Municipal Solid Waste: 0% 

The seven types of disposal-related tonnages include: transformation, green and non-green ADC, AIC, construction beneficial reuse, landscape beneficial reuse, waste-tire derived fuel, and EMSW. These activities in the state contributed to approximately 9% of the total disposal.

Data is from RDRS. 

California’s Statewide Recycling Rate Since 2014

  • 2014 50% 50%
  • 2015 47% 47%
  • 2016 44% 44%
  • 2017 42% 42%
  • 2018 40% 40%
  • 2019 37% 37%
  • 2020 42% 42%
  • 2021 40% 40%
  • 2022 41% 41%
  • 2023 40% 40%
  • 2024 42% 42%

For more information, contact the Policy Development and Analysis Office at wastechar@calrecycle.ca.gov.