What Is the State of Curbside Recycling?

The EPA has teamed up with the nonprofit The Recycling Partnership to look at trends and gaps in curbside recycling in the US.

To this end, the The Recycling Partnership, whose members include P&G and Waste Management among other companies, will analyze 400 curbside programs. It will catalog information on 39 categories of recyclable materials, along with collection frequencies, tonnages, funding mechanisms, service providers, and a host of other details. It will ultimately deliver a summary report along with the full database.

Work has already begun, with early results expected in September and final analysis slated for October.

“The breadth and depth of data this project will produce, coupled with the meaningful analysis of trends and potential areas of improvement, will allow the EPA to more effectively support communities through their transitions to sustainable materials management,” said Alan Farmer, EPA Region 4 division director, in a statement.

The research will initially focus on EPA regions 3, 4 and 5 before expanding to capture the national picture. Selected communities will include the most populated cities in each state, along with a number of other communities to round out the geographic distribution.

“The secondary material stream begins with local programs, and there is a great deal of untapped potential there,” said Cody Marshall, The Partnership’s technical assistance lead, in a statement. “Looking at snapshots of programs across the country will allow us to cross-reference best practices and pinpoint opportunities to increase recovery. Those insights will in turn allow national and federal organizations to create targeted action plans.”

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