US solid waste flow data, by state
Description
While the EPA collects overview data on the generation and disposal of solid waste, facility-level data for all states have been previously unavailable in aggregate form. This national dataset contains unprocessed solid waste data at the highest spatiotemporal resolution available from all 50 US states and the District of Columbia. For each state, when applicable, we provide additional context on the nature of the collected data and any relevant disclaimers. The strength of data available to the public varies by state and is tracked in a spreadsheet. When analyzed, this data can be used to determine, among other things, the origin of waste for a specific facility, the destination of waste from a municipality/town, and the amount of interstate import and export of solid waste. To determine which data is included in this dataset, review the spreadsheet titled "Data quality by state." When you've identified which state you're interested in, open the appropriate folder (named with the two-letter abbreviation for the state). This data is provided "as is" to analyze solid waste flow patterns. All data was created by the relevant state agencies and could contain inconsistencies and inaccuracies. If you require assistance interpreting this data, contact the authors. **This data is for non-commercial use only**
Files
Steps to reproduce
We submitted the following right-to-know request to the department of environmental protection in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia: "Any spreadsheet or database tracking the tonnage of waste brought to each solid waste transfer, recycling, composting, processing, or disposal facility (including landfills and incinerators), with fields sufficient to show the monthly tonnage (or quarterly or annual if monthly is not available), waste type, origin (state, county or municipality, in as much detail as is available), and waste destination if waste was transferred to another location, from the earliest data available in a spreadsheet or database format through the most recent data available. Also, any spreadsheets identifying each aforementioned facility with their owner, operator, address, county, municipality, permit number, facility type, and other non-confidential related information that may be stored in such a system identifying these facilities." We followed up with each state agency to ensure we received the most granular and comprehensive data available. Note: we requested data from the earliest date available until the year of publication (2022). At the time, some state agencies hadn't compiled data for 2021 or 2022.
Categories
Funding
Energy Justice Network