The chart compares the percentage of different types of household waste that were recycled in one city during the years 1992 to 2002. Overall, most categories showed a noticeable increase over the period, while only plastic remained stable. There was a considerable rise in the recycling of glass and paper, whereas the figure for plastic stayed almost unchanged.
The proportions of recycled
paper and glass rose sharply over the period. In 1992, paper was a reprocessed material at just above 14%, with glass following at around 13%. However, by 2002 this situation had reversed dramatically. Glass experienced the most spectacular growth, soaring to approximately 48%, making it the dominant category. Paper recovery also saw a substantial increase, reaching roughly 39%.
In contrast, the trends for cans and plastic were strikingly different. The reprocessing rate for cans showed a remarkable increase, jumping from around 12% in 1997 to nearly 24%. However, plastic recycling remained the clear exception, stagnating at a mere 10% throughout the entire period and consistently ranking as the least repurposed material.