Recycling
Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable
resources. In addition, it generates a host of environmental, financial,
and social benefits. Materials like glass, metal, plastics, and paper are
collected, separated and sent to facilities that can process them into new materials or products.
Recycling is one of the best environmental success stories of the late
20th century. Recycling, including composting, diverted 79 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators
in 2005, up from 34 million tons in 1990. By 2002, almost 9,000 curbside
collection programs served roughly half of the American population. Curbside
programs, along with drop-off and buy-back centers, resulted in a diversion
of about 32 percent of the nation's solid waste in 2005.
- In 1999, recycling and composting activities prevented about 64 million
tons of material from ending up in landfills and incinerators. Today,
this country recycles 32 percent of its waste, a rate that has almost
doubled during the past 15 years.
- While recycling has grown in general, recycling of specific materials
has grown even more drastically: 50 percent of all paper, 34 percent
of all plastic soft drink bottles, 45 percent of all aluminum beer and
soft drink cans, 63 percent of all steel packaging, and 67 percent of
all major appliances are now recycled.
- Twenty years ago, only one curbside recycling program existed in the
United States, which collected several materials at the curb. By 2005, almost
9,000 curbside programs had sprouted
up across the nation. As of 2005, about 500 materials recovery facilities
had been established to process the collected materials.
Source:
United States Environmental Protection Agency