Trends in Household Recycling of Cans, Paper, Plastic, and Glass; U.S. and State Data 2005-2012

Abstract

This paper examines household recycling participation by state among panelists in a large nationally representative internet survey panel.We report the percent of panelists in each state who indicate household recycling of cans, plastic, paper, or glass in the previous twelve months. These data come from over 300,000 surveys, administered starting in May 2005 through December 2012.Over that period, 74% of panelists reported recycling cans, 67% plastic, 67% paper, 58% glass, and 51% reported having recycled all four materials during the previous twelve months.Trends show that recycling is increasing over time in the United States overall, but there are large differences among states and regions.