What cities have the best recycling rates? Most statistics break down these numbers by state rather than city. We did a deep dive to see what we could find. Once we had cities with high recycling rates, we took a closer look at what they do that’s different from the norm.
The Realities of Recycling in the U.S.
An impressive 77% of U.S. residents claim to recycle. But that number isn’t as high as it seems, since only 32% of the waste stream is properly recycled. What doesn’t get recycled goes to landfills or ends up in streets, forested areas, streams, rivers, and the ocean. Duke University estimates that yearly plastic litter cleanup costs exceed $9.8 billion.
The EPA’s National Recycling Goal is to reach “50 by 30” (50% by 2030). If we’re going to reach it, people across the U.S. need to step it up and make sure they’re recycling correctly. That starts by examining the successes of cities with the highest recycling rates.
Recycling is important because it supports a circular economy and keeps reusable materials out of landfills. What is a circular economy? It’s an economy that focuses on reducing material use by reusing as much as possible, even if it’s for a completely new product.
For example, the plastic bottle you recycled is melted, pelletized, and sent to manufacturing plants to make clothing that you buy. All the glass bottles you recycle are washed, their labels removed, and crushed to create a base before a road is paved.
What Cities Have the Best Recycling Rates? What Leads to Successful Recycling Practices?
Several cities caught our attention for their goals towards reaching zero waste. Check them out along with some of the things they’re doing differently.
Kamikatsu-cho, Japan:
Kamikatsu-cho, Japan, tops our list as home to one of the world’s top recyclers. With a recycling rate of 81%, this zero-waste municipality has adopted a system that requires residents to carefully sort their waste materials into 45 subcategories, with free collection every two months. The subcategories are:
- Aerosol cans
- Brown glass
- Bulk fabric, metal, or wood waste
- Ceramics
- Clear (transparent) glass
- Clothing and blankets
- Colored glass
- Cooking oil
- Dangerous items (Batteries, broken glass or mirrors, knives, light bulbs, and lighters)
- Food waste
- Magazines and miscellaneous paper
- Metal caps
- Metals
- Miscellaneous metals
- Non-recyclable or dirty plastic
- One-liter beverage bottles
- Other bulk waste
- Paper
- Paper beverage cartons
- Paper beverage cartons with silver linings
- Paper cup packaging
- Plastic caps
- Recyclable plastic
- Shredded paper
- Stiff paper cores
- Trash for incineration
- Trash for landfills
- Unrecyclable fabrics
- Useful things
- White plastic food packaging
- Wood, including bamboo, cork, and wicker
This system has been in place since 2016. It takes work to sort everything, but it ensures only necessary items end up in a landfill.
Eskilstuna, Sweden:
Sweden has one of the highest recycling rates in the world at 99%. Eskilstuna caught our attention for establishing one of the best reuse programs we’ve seen. Start with seven sorting bins for recycling. Residents recycle food (green bin), metal (gray), mixed (black), newspaper (blue), paper (yellow), plastic (orange), and textiles (pink).
The aspect of recycling that caught our eye is the second-hand mall. Residents drop off unwanted yet usable items at ReTuna, a second-hand mall operated by the city’s energy board. Those donations are resold, and the funds are used to pay the workers who sort, repair, stock, and sell them, helping lower unemployment rates.
San Francisco, California:
Moving to the U.S., San Francisco implemented the zero-waste goal in 2002. That’s helped get them to an 80% recycling rate.
Over the years, single-use plastic bags have been banned. Bans are also in place on Styrofoam food containers, some plastic beverage accessories like plastic straws, and foodware containing fluorinated chemicals. Plastic bags before checkout are also banned, including those for produce and meat. Only compostable bags are allowed for those purposes.
Los Angeles, California:
Los Angeles does well, with a waste management rate of around 76.4%. Recycling is mandatory. The city uses a three-bin system:
- Blue – Recycling
- Green – Organics recycling
- Black – Trash
To increase recycling rates, residents are told to keep the materials clean and dry, and only plastics #1, #2, and #5 are accepted. Organics recycling includes food waste, yard waste, and food-soiled paper items like paper plates, napkins, paper towels, and pizza boxes.
Seattle, Washington:
While Seattle can’t match San Francisco’s rate, 74% is still impressive. Mandatory food and yard waste recycling policies help, and spacious 96-gallon curbside containers provide enough room to support high recycling rates. Social media accounts keep residents informed about recycling updates.
The city asks residents to join the Reuse Seattle movement by bringing your own cup to certain food establishments, such as coffee shops, and by frequenting stores that offer refill or take-back programs.
While cities are doing their part, several U.S. states also have the highest recycling rates. The six states with the best recycling rates are:
- Maine – 72%
- Vermont – 62%
- Massachusetts – 55%
- Oregon – 55%
- Connecticut – 52%
- New York – 51%
Again, the success comes down to laws that mandate recycling and hold producers responsible for the packaging or items that consumers end up needing to dispose of.
What Does the Future of Recycling Look Like?
Recycling Partnership makes clear what needs to happen for recycling to succeed.
- Packaging needs to be recyclable.
- Residents need access to recycling programs.
- Residents need better guidance on what is and isn’t recyclable so that at least 90% participate in recycling.
- Recycling facilities need to process at least 95% of the materials they receive.
- Enough end markets are needed to ensure recycling facilities have a place to sell recycled materials.
To meet these goals, many states are adopting laws requiring producers of goods to take back their products or to fund recycling programs. For example, Vermont mandates the recycling of all batteries (single-use and rechargeable), and manufacturers cannot sell their batteries in the state unless they contribute to the battery recycling stewardship.
In California, AB 793 set legal requirements for beverage manufacturers to use recycled plastic in their beverage containers. By 2030, bottles must contain at least 50% recycled plastic. Non-compliance leads to penalties.
Some districts are turning to automation and AI. The use of cameras and AI assessments sorts recyclables faster as items go onto conveyor belts. Robotic arms can quickly remove wish-cycled items and move them to waste bins.
Residents also need clear guidelines on what can and cannot be recycled. This alone prevents contamination of recycling once it goes into the truck and into a sorting facility. A glass Pyrex dish might seem recyclable to you because it’s glass, but it’s not. If you put it in your recycling bin, it becomes a contaminant to the rest of the recyclables that go onto a conveyor belt in the sorting facility.
Recycle Nation helps boost recycling rates by making it easy for consumers to learn where to recycle the goods they no longer need. Instead of tossing plastic film in the trash, learn where to bring it.
Don’t toss out batteries. There are several retailers with free battery recycling programs. Post ads offering your broken appliances. You might find a person interested in repairing them. Freecycle and social media are good places to post ads giving items away.
If you’re unsure whether you can recycle an item, use our search tool. Enter your ZIP code, share what item you need to recycle, and the site’s search tool provides a list of options with their contact information and hours.
