The graph illustrates the percentage of materials recycled from 1982 to 2010 in a particular country.
Overall, there was an increase in the rate of proportions recycled over the period. Furthermore, paper and cardboard recycling rate stood the highest for all the years, in contrast to the plastics as lowest percentage was recycled.
To begin with, at the start of the period just below 70% of paper and cardboard items were recycled in 1982, but the value dramatically fell to below 70% by 1986, before reaching its peak to 80% in 1990. Moreover, towards the end of the period the percentages sharply dropped to 70% in 2010, but still remained the highest by the end of the period. Similarly, the recycling rates of glass containers started at above 40% in 1982, before falling to 40% in 1986. But, gradually peaked and increased to 60% by 2010, recorded as the second most recycled item in 2010.
However, the proportion of aluminum card recycled in 1982 were just above 0%, but sharply rose to just below 50% by the end of the period. Similarly, recycling of plastic items started from 1986, and were just a over 0% was at the start, but the values rose to below 10% by 2010 and marked as the lowest recycled item.