The line chart illustrates the percentage of selected materials that were recycled in several countries. It shows four materials, represented in different colors and shapes, during the period from 1982 to 2010.
Paper and cardboard showed the highest percentage of recycling rates throughout all of the years and reached the peak of 80%. Glass container material followed paper and cardboard, where it was the second material recorded the highest rates of recycling between 40% and 60%.
There was a sharp increase in the recycling of aluminum cans, from 0% to around 45%. In contrast, plastic materials recorded the lowest recycling rates compared with other materials as they do not exceed 10%.
Overall, even though the paper and cardboard materials registered an increase in 1990 and 2010, they still had the highest recycling rate of the period while plastics showed a very slow increase. At the same time, aluminum recorded a significant increase between 1994 and 2010, exceeding 40%.158 words
