Asked by: Sergiy Schram
Asked in category: personal finance, frugal living
Last Updated: 3rd May 2024

What is the United States recycling rate?

In 2017, the recycling rate (including composting), was 35.2 percent, up from 34.7 in 2015. In 2017, the recycling rate included composting was 1.58 pounds per person/day, with 1.13 pounds per person/day for Recycling. For composting, 0.45 pounds per person/day



Are the US also good at recycling?

According to EPA, just over a quarter of the 262m tonnes were recycled. The US is better than all other countries. This index was created by the firm's Recycling index. It is also one of the most hazardous countries for waste generation.

How much plastic is actually being recycled in the US, other than what I have just mentioned? The overall amount of recycled plastics in the US is small (3.0 million tonnes for an 8.4 percent rate of recycling in 2017,) but some types of plastic containers are more valuable.

So, how does the US stack up in recycling?

Rates of recycling vary by country

Country Composting and recycling Landfill
Taiwan 55 no data
Turkey 1 99
United Kingdom 43 34
United States 35 54

What is the US's approach to recycling?

Recycling is a process that collects and processes materials that would otherwise be discarded as trash and makes them into new products.