Why Has the U.S. Recycling Rate Stalled?

Let’s turn the tide on recycling

Americans are very supportive of the idea of recycling—in fact, statistics say 85% of Americans strongly believe in it. Unfortunately, even with so much support, curbside recycling only brings in about 32% of the 37.4 million ton goal of curbside recycling . According to another study, 76% of recyclables are lost at the household level , even in households recycling regularly.

Why is the U.S. recycling rate so low? In large part, it’s because many American households don’t have access to recycling services at home. Of those who do, only about 43% participate. And of those, not all recycle everything they should, often due to a lack of understanding regarding what to put in the recycling bin.?

Fortunately, things aren’t as bleak as they seem.

The U.S. recycling rate isn’t all bad news. While recycling rates seem to have plateaued lately, they have risen steadily over the years —from just over 6% in 1960 to 32% in 2018 (the last year for which government figures are available).?

But with recycling becoming increasingly technologically advanced, there’s no reason why rates can’t begin rising again. All we need is the will to do it as a society and for the government to work with our industry on building a robust recycling infrastructure.

We have firm U.S. recycling rate goals.

There are many goals focused on recycling, but the one most of us can do something about is post-consumer recycling, or “PCR”—the rate standing at about 32% today. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. National Recycling Strategy wants to get the number to 50% by 2030.

How likely are we to succeed?

As we mentioned above, 85% of Americans think recycling is important. And they aren’t alone. In a survey of 12,000 consumers across six countries worldwide—the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Australia, China, and Brazil—76% of consumers said they want to recycle more. Factor in the young people taking an interest in the recyclability of the products they buy, and the future bodes well for recycling. It’s poised to make the kind of comeback we all love to see in American culture.?

But the comeback can only be strong if America, as a nation, commits to making recycling easier than it often tends to be. 66% of Americans have said they probably wouldn’t recycle a product if doing it wasn’t easy. With the right investments by governments in infrastructure and material collection, and a willingness to partner with our industry on implementing new recycling technologies , the United States could be well on the way to a truly circular, closed-loop plastics economy.

Closing the loop: It can happen.

The ultimate goal of a closed-loop plastic recycling system is to use less and less brand-new or “virgin” plastic, phasing in recycled materials until we get to a point where all recycled plastics perform at the same level as virgin plastics.

It sounds like a tall order, but the plastics industry is constantly working to recycle more and more and decrease the demand for new plastics. Eventually, activists will have no new plastics to protest against and no unwanted plastics in the environment .

What can recycling-minded citizens do? Contrary to some opinions, politicians do listen to their constituents. Contact your local, state, and federal representatives and tell them to support efforts to expand recycling, making it easier, more accessible, and technologically sophisticated enough to power a truly circular economy.