Band 8+: The graph shows the proportion of four different materials that were recycled from 1982 to 2010 in a particular country. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, making comparisons where relevant.

The line graph illustrates the percentages of paper and cardboard, glass containers, aluminum cans, and plastics that were recycled in a specific country between 1982 and 2010.

Overall, paper and cardboard observed the highest recycling rates throughout the timeline, while plastics showed the lowest figures. Notably, aluminum cans demonstrated significant growth over the 28 years.

In 1982, about 65% of paper and cardboard was recycled. This figure fluctuated before climbing steeply to peak at 80% in 1994. However, from then on, it dropped steadily to 70% in 2010. In 1982, half of all glass containers were recycled; after falling below 40% in 1990, the glass recycling rate gradually increased to 60% by 2010.

Aluminum cans were first recycled in 1986, starting at about 5%, but this figure increased rapidly over 25 years, and by 2010, it had reached 45%. In contrast, plastic recycling was not introduced until 1990, and although the growth in this category was also steady, it was very slow, rising from about 2% to around 8% over the period.