Band 9: The graph shows the percentage of people who recycle their rubbish, in five countries, over 12 years. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

The bar chart illustrates the proportion of people who recycled their waste in five countries over a 12-year period.

Overall, the highest recycling rates were recorded in the United Kingdom and the USA, both of which showed a clear upward trend over time, whereas the remaining countries experienced either declines or stability throughout the period.

At the beginning of the period, the United Kingdom was in the lead at approximately 27%, followed by the USA at around 17%. Both figures increased steadily over the years, reaching about 32% and 19% respectively by the end of the period.

In contrast, Japan and Singapore had relatively lower initial rates, at 12% and 7% respectively. Although their patterns were similar in structure to those of the leading countries, both nations experienced a decline rather than growth, with the figures gradually falling to approximately 7% and 5%. Meanwhile, Germany’s recycling rate remained stable at around 5% throughout the entire period without any significant changes.