Waste production is assumed to be directly related to population (it is estimated that each person in the US produces 130 kg of plastic waste each year) . Municipal solid waste (MSW) composition When the network processes 100% of US residential plastic waste, it achieves a degree of circularity reaching 33.9% (meaning that over one-third of input waste plastics return as mechanically or chemically recycled plastics, and a significant portion of the remaining inputs are converted into valuable byproduct chemicals).