{"id":18845,"date":"2026-09-15T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/?p=18845"},"modified":"2026-09-17T11:35:53","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T14:35:53","slug":"best-worst-states-waste-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/studies\/best-worst-states-waste-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Best States for Waste Management in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Which states are trying to cut down on landfill waste, and which are just burying the problem?<\/p>

To mark leaf season and October as Zero Waste Month, LawnStarter<\/a> ranked the Best States for Waste Management in 2026. We compared all 50 states across 27 metrics spanning recycling policy, disposal infrastructure, recycling and composting performance, and total waste output.<\/p>

Why does LawnStarter care about waste management?<\/em> Yard waste, like grass clippings, leaves, and branches, makes up about 12.11% of the total waste generated<\/strong> in America \u2014 nearly the same amount as plastics (12.20%). And when it comes to yard trimmings, they can usually be recycled right back into your lawn. <\/p>

The mix of composting, combusting, and landfilling yard trimmings<\/strong> through the municipal waste stream created the equivalent of 170,000 cars’ worth of greenhouse gases<\/strong> in 2018, according to the most recent EPA data estimates.<\/p>

Key Insights<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
\u25cf Wisconsin<\/strong> (No. 10), Pennsylvania<\/strong> (No. 16), and Iowa<\/strong> (No. 6) were the first states to enact yard waste bans in the early 90s.
\u25cf 34 states<\/strong> have Extended Producer Responsibility<\/strong> (EPR) laws, requiring manufacturers to provide disposal systems for their products.
\u25cf Roughly 12 years of landfill space left:<\/strong> The U.S. is rapidly filling its remaining landfills, and several Northeast facilities are projected to close within 5 years.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

Explore our ranking and tips for reducing yard waste below, featuring experts from the National Recycling Coalition, SWEEP, and a Texas homeowner who started her own community composting program. <\/p>

Contents<\/h2>
  • Ranking All 50 States for Waste Management<\/a><\/li>
  • Top 5 States for Managing Waste<\/a><\/li>
  • Waste Management and Lawn Care<\/a><\/li>
  • One Woman\u2019s Small Backyard Project Turns into Meaningful Mission<\/a><\/li>
  • Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Transporting Trash Across State Lines<\/a><\/li>
  • Ask the Experts: Is Recycling a Scam?<\/a><\/li>
  • Waste Management by the Numbers<\/a><\/li>
  • Methodology<\/a><\/li>
  • How to Handle Yard Waste and Old Lawn Care Equipment<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>

    Ranking All 50 States for Waste Management<\/h2>

    How to Read This Ranking:<\/h3>

    Each state earned an Overall Score out of 100, built from its performance across 4 categories \u2014 Policies, Facilities, Recycling, and Lowest Waste Output (full weighting in the Methodology section below). A higher score means stronger, more comprehensive waste management; a lower score points to weaker infrastructure, fewer policies, or higher per-capita waste output.<\/p>

    For example, Alaska (No. 48) isn’t the most wasteful state, but it faces real logistical challenges: With a small, spread-out population, there isn’t enough concentrated waste volume for large investments in in-state recovery infrastructure. Alaska has the lowest share of production-related waste recycled, at just 0.02%. Explore the full methodology<\/a> below. <\/p>

    See how each state fared in our ranking:<\/p>