Understanding Beverage Container Recycling

Recycling rates are declining, even though the tonnage recovered is relatively flat. Reasons for this include: the fact that growth is dominated by PET containers (with an emphasis on single-serve beverages often consumed away-from-home); increasing range of beverage types (that may complicate recycling education and/or may not be covered in recovery programs); the maturation of curbside and drop-off collection programs (i.e., few new programs are being added); declining support and funding for recycling; and the declining relative value of deposit amounts adopted in past years.