Solid Waste (aka Trash)

Globally ONLY 30% of trash is recycled.

What is Solid Waste aka Trash?

In Eastham, solid waste refers to what we throw into the large dumpsters located just beyond the recycling area at the Transfer Station. This is the trash that cannot be reused, recycled, or composted—and it adds up quickly. In Eastham, trash disposal has risen sharply—jumping from about 2,100 tons in 2023 to 3,612 tons in 2025—highlighting a growing solid waste problem.

Where Does Our Trash Go?

Disposing of this waste comes at a significant cost. The Town pays approximately $140 per ton to transport and process this material at the SEMASS Waste-to-Energy Facility. There, the trash is handled using “shred-and-burn” technology, meaning it is shredded and then incinerated to produce electricity. While this process recovers energy, it is still the most expensive and least sustainable option compared to reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting.

Some FACTS

  • Increasingly massive landfills are driving people in Indonesia from their homes.
  • Rich countries often export recyclables to poorer nations.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has made our waste and recycling problem worse.
  • Each year around 92 million metric tons of textile waste is generated around the world.
  • Our trash pile-ups affect animal behavior.
  • There’s more than one ocean garbage patch around the world (There are at least 5).
  • The plastic waste recycling industry has an underbelly of crime.
  • The total generation of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2018 was 292.4 million tons or 4.9 pounds per person per day.
  • Of the MSW generated, approximately 69 million tons were recycled and 25 million tons were composted. Together, almost 94 million tons of MSW were recycled and composted, equivalent to a 32.1 percent recycling and composting rate.

Locally – Eastham

  • The transfer station for 2021 reported a decrease of nearly 213 tons in solid waste materials.
  • The transfer station for 2021 reported an increase of nearly 80 tons in recycled materials.

More information

Check out these resources for more information.