Recycling in the United States is on the uptick and has been so since the 1980s, but there is still room for improvement. In 1980, Americans recycled 15 million tons of waste. Move forward 30+ years and we are now recycling 87 million tons a year – about 34% of the overall waste, which totals 251 million tons. Of the 87 million tons that were recycled, 51% consisted of paper and paperboard, 22% yard trimmings, 9% metal, 4% food waste, 4% glass, 3% plastic and wood, and 6% were other materials.

Currently, there are no recycling laws in the U.S.; however, many local and state governments set recycling goals and landfill bans in place to encourage recycling of certain materials such as plastics, aluminum, glass and electronics. To date, 25 states have passed bills mandating electronic waste recycling.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 75% of the U.S. waste can be recycled or composted, but we are only recycling around 34%. In comparison, Germany and Austria are recycling or composting 62 and 63% of their waste, respectively.  Many countries around the world are trying to reach zero waste or 90% recycle and composition rate.

To increase the U.S. recycling rates, experts believe it will take a combination of government policy, corporate responsibility, community will and individual effort. Many cities in the U.S. are seeing high recycling rates, including Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin and other smaller cities on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Many of those cities moving toward 90% recycle rate have high community involvement and an increased push for recycling, and no incineration of waste.

The future of recycling is tied to a multitude of things, including commodity pricing, better sorting, less contamination, easily identifiable labeling, and prioritizing recycling and composting. Recycling is tied to commodity prices that fluctuate; at times it is cheaper to manufacture new plastic than recycle. Also, recyclables are often contaminated and not sorted properly, so ultimately they do not get recycled. With better sorting and less unrecyclable material (such as plastic bags) entering the recycle stream, recycling old materials into new becomes easier and cheaper. This begins with better education on what can be recycled and better labeling on products and packaging.

To increase recycling and composting programs in the U.S., it needs to start with an individual and grassroots push leading to large community involvement that includes local businesses. The community needs to want to decrease the amount of waste going to the landfill and being incinerated. Many locales are making this work in the U.S. and around the world.

At this point there is plenty of room to improve. With strong local leaders and activists, recycling can have a bright future.