From Landfills to Oceans: Breakdown of U.S. Landfills by State and Waste Disposal Destinations
Introduction
Waste management is a growing environmental and economic challenge in the United States. With landfills reaching capacity in many regions and waste generation continuing to rise, states are adopting different strategies to manage their trash. The United States faces a mounting waste crisis, generating over 12% of the world’s municipal solid waste despite having less than 5% of the population. With landfills projected to reach capacity by 2036 and 80% of landfill waste being recyclable, mismanagement continues to harm the environment. Beyond landfills, plastic pollution is choking waterways, threatening marine life, and endangering ecosystems. As the nation struggles with excessive waste production and inadequate recycling, the consequences for sustainability and public health grow more severe. Without immediate action through improved waste management, policy reforms, and sustainable practices, the U.S. risks long-term environmental and societal damage. Some states, like Pennsylvania and Michigan, import large amounts of waste from neighbouring regions, while others face landfill shortages that drive up disposal costs (Monica Sanders, 2025).
At the same time, international waste policies—such as China’s ban on imported waste have reshaped global waste flows, forcing the U.S. to find alternative solutions. Beyond landfills, improper waste disposal has contributed to the global pollution crisis, with millions of tons of plastic and hazardous materials entering the oceans each year. While international agreements like MARPOL and the London Convention have restricted direct ocean dumping, mismanaged waste from coastal populations and river systems continues to fuel marine pollution (Jeff Turrentine, 2019).
This article explores landfill capacity by state, dumped waste in the oceans, and the environmental impact of waste exports, highlighting key facts, figures, and the broader implications for sustainability.
Asia’s Plastic Crisis: How Five Nations Are Choking the World’s Oceans
Currently, an estimated 75 to 199 million tons of plastic waste pollute the world’s oceans, with an additional 33 billion pounds of plastic entering marine environments each year. The rate at which plastic is being produced and discarded has far outpaced the capacity of waste management and recycling systems, creating an escalating environmental crisis (Chloe Fisher, 2024).
Asia’s plastic pollution crisis is one of the most severe environmental threats facing our oceans. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states—particularly China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand—are among the world’s largest contributors to marine plastic waste. According to a 2017 report by the Ocean Conservancy and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, these five nations alone are responsible for over 50% of the plastic waste polluting the world’s oceans (Johnny Wood, 2018).
These nations have experienced a rapid increase in consumer product demand, but their waste management systems have been unable to keep pace with the surge in plastic waste. Globally, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year—equivalent to one garbage truck of plastic being dumped into the sea every minute. If this trend continues, the total volume of plastic waste in the ocean could double to 250 million tones by 2025, as projected by Ocean Conservancy. Even more alarming, a World Economic Forum report warns that by 2050, plastic could outweigh fish in the ocean if immediate action is not taken (Jenny Vaughan, 2018).
On the other hand, Philippines is an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, with a 36,289 kilometre coastline and 4,820 plastic emitting rivers is estimated to emit 35% of the ocean’s plastic.
In addition to the Philippines, over 75% of the accumulated plastic in the ocean is reported to come from the mismanaged waste in Asian countries including India, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Thailand (Louis Lugas, 2023).
Scale of Waste Entering Oceans: How Much Waste is Entering to Oceans?
Estimated Annual Waste Dumped into Oceans
Total Waste: Approximately 8 to 14 million metric tons of plastic waste alone enter the oceans every year, according to research by the Ocean Conservancy and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Projected Growth: If current trends continue, the amount of plastic waste entering oceans could triple to 29 million metric tons per year by 2040 (Hannah Ritchie, Veronika Samborska, Max Roser, 2022).
Breakdown of Waste Types
Plastic Waste:
Percentage: 80% of all marine debris.
Examples: Single-use plastics (bottles, bags, straws), micro plastics, and abandoned fishing gear.
Volume: Over 11 million metric tons of plastic enter oceans annually.
Published on: Mar 27, 2025
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