Beverage Container Recycling Rates

Sales, consumption, recycling, and wasting of aluminum, plastic, and glass beverage containers

There's Treasure in the Trash
Trash Free Potomac Watershed Summit (March 2006) [PPT,950Kb]

The State of Wasting and Recycling Beverage Containers in America
CRI Bottle Bill Summit (December 2001) [PPT,452 Kb]

As the graphs above clearly indicate, recycling rates are steadily declining. There are a number of reasons for this trend, including:

• Fewer aluminum can buyback centers
• Increased contamination of recyclables collected through curbside programs
• Increase in “immediate consumption” containers—containers consumed away from home and away from curbside bins
• Declining value of the dollar has impacted aluminum can recycling and redemption of deposit containers in states with deposit laws

Working towards Zero Beverage Container Waste

Every year, Americans waste more and more beverage containers and recycle a smaller and smaller percentage.  The Zero Beverage Container Waste campaign intends to reverse this trend.

 

News articles, press releases, opinion, and other printed media on container recycling, quoting CRI.