The graph illustrates the recycling rates for four (4) materials: 1) paper and cardboard, 2) glass containers, 3) aluminum cans, and 4) plastics, for years 1982-2010.
Evidently, the most recycled materials were paper and cardboard, ranging from 65-80%, with the highest rate in 1994. Although the rate was lowered to 70% in 2010, it remained as the highest recycling rate among all the other items.
The second most recycled items were glass containers, where there is a 50% recycling rate in 1982. From the graph, it can be a 10% increase can be observed in 2010, in contrast to the recycling rate’s fall to 40% in 1990.
There are no recorded data on 1982 for both aluminum cans and plastics. Aluminum cans started to be recycled in 1986, but there is a sharp increase to its recycling rate from 5% when it started to 45% in 2010. Plastics, on the other hand, show an almost 0% recycling rate in 1990, and there seems to be a slower growth in its recyclability over the years. In 2010, the recycling rate for plastics remained under 10%.
In conclusion, papers and cardboard were the most recycled materials, and plastics were the least recycled ones. It might be useful to conduct further studies to determine the impacts of such recycling rates.