In 2009, Americans generated about 243 million tons of trash and recycled and composted 82 million tons of this material, equivalent to a 33.8% recycling rate. Sixty-one million tons of MSW (excluding composting) were recovered through recycling.
The recycling rates of packaging materials were as follows:
• More than 66% of steel packaging (mostly cans) was recycled.
• About 72% of paper and paperboard containers and packaging was recycled, including 81% of all corrugated boxes.
• The recycling rate for aluminum packaging was about 38%, including almost 51%
of aluminum beverage cans.
• Around 31% of glass containers was recycled.
• About 22% of wood packaging—mostly wood pallets—was recovered.
• Almost 14% of plastic containers and packaging was recycled, mostly from soft drink, milk, and water bottles. Plastic bottles were the most recycled plastic products. Recovery of high-density polyethylene natural (white translucent) bottles was estimated at about 29%. PET bottles and jars were recovered at 28%.
