Every year municipal crews in Los Angeles collect 1.5 million tons of material.
The second-largest city in the country also has a very ambitious waste diversion goal: 90% by 2025. That means Los Angeles must stay creative to continue managing the massive volume of recyclables its residents generate.
In Vancouver, British Columbia, private-sector backing for recycling collection has freed up resources to tackle ambitious initiatives from local leaders.
Emmet county’s dual-stream program serves more than 90,000 households.
A small and diverse rural community along Lake Michigan is forging its own path when it comes to recycling.
The 10th largest city in the country has a diverse population that spans 180 square miles, yet it manages to achieve a 72 percent citywide diversion rate. The director of environmental services for San José says the key to achieving such a rate is simplicity.
Washington, D.C.’s recycling collection trucks were recently decorated with recycling-related motifs painted by local artists and students.
Although changes at the White House have grabbed much attention recently, there are plenty of other developments taking place in the District of Columbia.
Clifton residents separate materials into more than 10 different categories.
As more and more communities switch to single-stream recycling collection to increase participation and material volumes, a New Jersey city is holding on strong to its source-separation system.
Through early implementation of recycling incentives and consistent outreach to involve the public in recycling initiatives, Vancouver, Wash. and its surrounding county have carved out a recycling rate of more than 50 percent over the past two decades.
In the City of Madison, Wis., staying consistently ahead of the curve has led to high diversion and citizen engagement in municipal recycling.
It’s known for its laid back surfing and skating culture, but Santa Monica, Calif. has been serious when it comes to recycling.
It can be difficult for a recycling program to implement major changes. Switching to single-stream, including more materials or removing others from the accepted list can all lead to more contamination in the stream.