Germany produces 30 million tons of garbage annually. The Green Dot system has been one of the most successful recycling initiatives, which has literally put packaging on a diet. This clever system has led to less paper, thinner glass and less metal being used, thus creating less garbage to be recycled.
Recycling is nearly a national pastime in Germany. There's a blue bin for paper, a brown or green bin for biodegradables, a yellow one for plastic and a black one for the rest. Additionally, Germans return their deposit bottles to the supermarket, and drop glass bottles at public collecting points.
It can take up to 1,000 years for plastic to decompose in landfills. The plastic bags we use daily take 10 years to 1,000 years to decompose, while plastic bottles can take 450 years or more.
When people throw away scrap metal, we are harming the environment. By not recycling we're also wasting finite resources. Not only does this process deplete our resources but it also destroys the natural habitats of other creatures, according to Panda Environmental. Additionally, trees produce oxygen.
As mentioned, materials that are sorted and can be recycled are either placed into bins or baled. These are then sent to factories where the next step happens. For example, your paper might be made into toilet paper or paper for a printer. Plastics can be made into other plastic things, such as bottles.
China's “National Sword” policy, enacted in January 2018, banned the import of most plastics and other materials headed for that nation's recycling processors, which had handled nearly half of the world's recyclable waste for the past quarter century.
Recycling in Sweden – key figures:– 1,850 million items are recycled in the pant system each year, i.e. where people get money back for empty cans and bottles. – 85% of bottles and cans was recycled in 2017 – 90% is the government target. – 69% of all packaging was recycled in 2017.
Japan does not have the space for landfill and incineration is the country's method of choice for disposing of waste. In Japan, the Plastic Waste Management Institute said 83 per cent of plastics were recycled or incinerated, generating power and heating local facilities like pools in the process.
Officially, Japan recycles 84 percent of the plastic it collects, one of the highest rates in the world, but the government designates three types of recycling processes: material, chemical and thermal. Other countries do not consider burning to be a recycling process.
Paper recycling was reportedly invented in 1690 in America, by the Rittenhouse family of Philadelphia. Metal recycling was claimed to be invented by patriots in 1776 when a statue was melted to make bullets.
Coca-Cola has been named the world's largest polluter of plastics for the second year in a row, according to an audit conducted by Break Free From Plastic. The environmental justice group asked 72,541 volunteers in 51 countries to collect plastic waste.
Germany, South Korea, Slovenia, and Austria are the world leaders in recycling, according to recently published data by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In comparison, the United States recycles only 35 percent of its waste.
The US, quite simply, is lagging behind. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 75 percent of the US waste stream can be recycled or composted, but we're only doing so for just over 34 percent of it.
69 million tons of MSW were recycled in 2018, a 2.2 percent increase from the 67.6 million tons recycled in 2015. There was an increase from 23.4 million to 24.9 million tons of food and yard trimmings composted between 2015 and 2018.
A whopping 94 percent of Americans indicate they recycle, however, those aged 35 and older are more likely (48 percent) to say they regularly recycle than the 18-34 age group (33 percent). Older people say they recycle more.
The EPA estimates that 75% of the American waste stream is recyclable, but we only recycle about 30% of it. We generate 21.5 million tons of food waste each year. If we composted that food, it would reduce the same amount of greenhouse gas as taking 2 million cars off the road.
Germany has the best recycling rate in the world. Austria comes in second, followed by South Korea and Wales. All four countries manage to recycle between 52% and 56% of their municipal waste. Switzerland, in fifth place, recycles almost half of its municipal waste.
Recycling of aluminum cans saves 95% of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its virgin source. One ton of recycled aluminum saves 14,000 kilowatt hours (Kwh) of energy, 40 barrels of oil, 130. 152.32 million BTU's of energy, and 10 cubic yards of landfill space.
| Overall Rank (1=Greenest) | State | Total Score |
|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 76.35 |
| 2 | New York | 75.49 |
| 3 | Oregon | 75.24 |
| 4 | Connecticut | 73.89 |
Recycling helps protect the environmentRecycling reduces the need for extracting (mining, quarrying and logging), refining and processing raw materials all of which create substantial air and water pollution. As recycling saves energy it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to tackle climate change.
Recycling--Do your partIn Italy, recycling is required by law and not complying may result in fines. Additionally, bringing waste on base for disposal is against the law. Every community in the local area has an ecological platform or community dump.
