of containers and packaging were generated in the U.S. in 2018.
That was 28.1% of all municipal solid waste generated that year.
Source: U.S. EPA, 2018 Fact Sheet, 2018 ↗Reference page
Reusable drinkware
& packaging statistics.
Five sourced U.S. facts for writers, shoppers, and makers looking at the bigger picture around the drinkware we carry every day.
Last updated November 3, 2026. All figures below use the latest comparable U.S. EPA materials data available on the cited source pages, for 2018.
The quick read
Useful facts,
ready to cite.
Reusable cups and bottles are personal objects, but they sit inside a much larger packaging story. This page collects a focused set of U.S. figures from the Environmental Protection Agency, with each number linked to its source and year.
was the recycling rate for containers and packaging in 2018.
The EPA identifies containers and packaging as the product category with the highest recycling rate that year.
Source: U.S. EPA, 2018 Fact Sheet, 2018 ↗of plastic containers and packaging were generated in 2018.
That category includes PET soft-drink and water bottles, HDPE milk and water jugs, plus other plastic packaging.
Source: U.S. EPA, Product-Specific Data, 2018 ↗was the recycling rate for PET bottles and jars in 2018.
The EPA reports 910,000 tons of PET bottles and jars recycled that year.
Source: U.S. EPA, Product-Specific Data, 2018 ↗of plastic containers and packaging was landfilled in 2018.
The rest was recycled or managed through combustion with energy recovery, showing why durable choices belong in a larger packaging conversation.
Source: U.S. EPA, Product-Specific Data, 2018 ↗Method & sources
What these
numbers mean.
These figures describe U.S. municipal solid waste and packaging by weight. They do not measure every reusable cup or bottle sold, nor do they predict the impact of one individual purchase. They are useful context for the packaging systems surrounding everyday beverages.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published the underlying 2018 materials data in December 2020. The figures are kept together here without changing the source definitions or combining unlike measurements.
Read the EPA’s 2018 fact sheet ↗
Read the EPA’s container and packaging data ↗
Cite this page
Moonmoth & Mayhem Creations. “Reusable Drinkware & Packaging Statistics.” Updated November 3, 2026. moon-moth-mayhem.org/reusable-drinkware-statistics.
Make it yours
Bring more personality
to every sip.
Explore custom tumblers, kids bottles, and gifts made for everyday routines.
Browse the collection