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The State of Recycling: Key Statistics and Insights

Mar. 31 2025 Miscellaneous By Sargents Equipment

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Recycling plays a crucial role in reducing waste and conserving resources, yet recycling rates vary significantly across materials, regions, and nations. Here’s a deep dive into some of the most critical recycling statistics shaping the landscape today.

Residential Recycling in the U.S. ₃

  • Only 21% of residential recyclable materials are actually recycled, with 3% lost at material recovery facilities (MRFs) and 76% ending up in the trash at home.
  • 43% of U.S. households actively recycle, despite 73% having access to recycling services.
  • When it comes to packaging, only 36% of plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable.

Recycling Access Across the U.S. ₃

Top states for recycling access:

  • Delaware (97%)
  • Maryland (96%)
  • California (95%)
  • Vermont (92%)
  • Connecticut (91%)

Lowest access states:

  • North Dakota (34%)
  • Mississippi (37%)
  • Montana (42%)
  • Louisiana & Nebraska (43%)
  • Colorado (45%)

Household Recycling Rates by Material ₃

Among households that participate in recycling:

  • Cardboard: 81%
  • Glass containers: 62%
  • Mixed paper products: 60%
  • HDPE bottles and jars: 59%
  • Aluminum cans: 55%
  • Polypropylene (PP): 30%
  • Film and flexible plastics: 20%

Material Recovery Facility (MRF) Efficiency ₃

MRFs process recyclables into outbound commodities with varying degrees of efficiency:

  • Steel cans: 96%
  • HDPE bottles and jars: 93%
  • Cardboard, mixed papers, glass containers, aluminum cans: 90%
  • Non-bottle PET: 60%
  • Film and flexibles: 40%

National Recycling Rates by Material ₃

  • Cardboard: 32%
  • Aluminum cans: 30%
  • PET bottles: 28%
  • Glass containers: 27%
  • HDPE natural bottles: 26%
  • Mixed paper: 23%
  • Steel cans: 19%
  • Film and flexible plastics, bulky rigid plastics, and plastics 3-7 (excluding PP): ~1%
  • Overall U.S. recycling rate: 21%

Regional Trends in Recycling

  • The West and South have lower recycling rates overall.
  • The West Coast and Northeast tend to have higher recycling rates.
  • The Midwest maintains an average recycling rate.

Recycling’s Environmental Impact

  • Approximately two-thirds of all recycled goods are paper or cardboard. ₂
  • Metals make up 13% of recycled materials. ₂
  • Wood, plastics, and glass each contribute about 4-5% of the total recycling stream. ₂
  • 31% of Americans cite facility access as the biggest barrier to recycling. ₁
  • A third of Americans believe avoiding single-use plastics is unfeasible. ₁

Global Recycling Statistics ₁

  • Worldwide plastic usage has quadrupled in the last 30 years.
  • The U.S. plastic recycling rate is only 5%, the lowest among developed nations. This is down from 8.7% in 2018 due to changes in China’s import policies.
  • The EU recycled 41% of plastic packaging waste in 2022, up from 38% in 2012.
  • 74.5% of all aluminum ever manufactured remains in use globally.
  • Recycling aluminum saves 94% of carbon emissions and 93% of the energy needed to produce new aluminum.
  • Glass can be endlessly recycled without degrading its quality.
  • Recycling one ton of paper conserves 30,000 liters of water and protects 17 trees.
  • Paper fibers can be recycled up to 25 times, far more than previously estimated (4-7 times).
  • E-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream, increasing at 3-4% annually.
  • Steel is the most recycled material in the world.

Final Thoughts

While recycling efforts continue to expand, there is still significant room for improvement. Increasing household participation, improving MRF efficiency, and reducing reliance on single-use plastics are all critical steps toward a more sustainable future. With global recycling rates for key materials on the rise, greater awareness and infrastructure investments can help push these numbers even higher.

Statistics pulled from:

₁ Dhanani, R. (2024, November 8). "50+ Interesting Recycling Facts & Statistics." The Sustainable Agency.

₂ (2024, November 8). "National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling." United States Environmental Protection Agency.

₃ Appel, M; Francis, A; Payne, A; Tanimoto, A; Mouw, S. (2024) "State of Recycling: The Present and Future of Residential Recycling in the U.S." The Recycling Partnership.