Per head of population the worst offenders are the US, as Americans produce three times the global average of waste, including plastic and food.
When it comes to recycling, America again lags behind other countries, only re-using 35% of solid waste.
Germany is the most efficient country, recycling 68% of material.
The study has been compiled by Verisk Maplecroft, a research firm that specialises in global risk,
They've developed two new indices, on waste generation and recycling.
They've used publically-available data, plus academic research to develop a global picture of how countries are coping at a time when the world is facing a mounting crisis, primarily driven by plastic.
The waste generation index shows per capita rates of municipal solid waste, plastic, food and hazardous materials.
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The US is the only developed nation with waste generation that outstrips its ability to recycle.
"Where the US is doing badly is the relationship between what it generates and its capacity to recycle," said Niall Smith, one of the authors of the report.
"And relative to it's high income peers, that's where it is performing poorly."
When it comes to recycling in the US, the issue seems to be one of political will and infrastructure.
