The figures you are seeking are available in the most recent "Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States" (the "Franklin Study"); it's available as a PDF file from the EPA web site.
The copy I have on my desk is the 1997 update. Total generation of MSW in 1996 was 4.3 pounds per person per day, which included discards and recycling. The discard rate for the same year was 3.2 pounds per person per day.
Several of the tables provide the information on generation of specific materials, several of them include a total and then separate supporting tables for discards and recyclables.
You should be able to find answers to many of your questions.
Elizabeth Roe
Vice President
Eco Partners, Inc.
Publishers of Trash Talk! and "One Man's/Person's Trash..."
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