Recycling provides an essential outlet for consumers to reduce their environmental footprint.

Unfortunately, less than a third of all waste produced in the United States alone is properly recycled.

The Availability of Recycling

Research studies completed in the past decade presumed that most consumers in the United States could access a local recycling program. However, a recent study completed in 2016 changed this general assumption when it looked into the accessibility of these recycling programs.

The Centralized Study on Availability of Recycling found that even though 94% of consumers have recycling programs, only 73% of those programs offer curbside recycle programs. In addition, many of these curbside programs cost an extra fee on top of the normal waste management bill that consumers pay on a monthly basis.

This study also concluded that another 21% of the United States had access to drop-off recycling. However, very few people view this option as a convenient alternative to placing waste in a garbage can that is picked up weekly.

Recycling for Apartments

Rarely do apartment complexes or landlords provide curbside recycling programs. More often than not, larger apartment complexes lack a recycling option all together. This means that consumers who wish to recycle need to find drop-off locations for their recycling, which makes the recycling process very inconvenient for a normal consumer.

Some apartment complexes and landlords do offer recycling services, but this typically only happens in single- or multi-family housing options. Unfortunately, the lack of recycling availability in cities changed consumers’ mindset on the benefits of recycling. This means that the next generations could feel less inclined to recycle.

Why you should Recycle

The United States generates 30% of the world’s garbage. Other reports concluded that Americans waste nearly 1 million pounds of materials per person every year.

Recycling provides an easy way for consumers to take care of the environment. Recycling saves money, energy, improves efficiency, and reduces the overall harmful impact that the industrial world market has on the environment today. For more information about this report, visit Spray‘s September 2016 issue here.