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How much does packaging contribute to municipal solid waste?

Packaging accounted for 30.3 percent of municipal solid waste in 1990. (Municipal solid wastes are those generated by households, businesses, and institutions.) This figure includes the following materials, in the following proportions: paper (47.7 percent), glass (24.5 percent), plastic (14.5 percent), steel (6.5 percent), wood (4.5 percent), and aluminum (2.3 percent).

Source: Stilwell, E. Joseph, et al. Packaging for the Environment, p. 2.

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