The line graph illustrates the recycling rates of four types of materials – paper and cardboard, glass containers, aluminium cans, and plastics – in one country between 1982 and 2010.
Overall, paper and cardboard consistently accounted for the highest proportion of recycled materials, despite a gradual decline after the mid-1990s. Glass containers ranked second throughout the period, while aluminium cans showed the most significant growth. By contrast, plastics remained at a very low level with only minor increases.
In 1982, around 65% of paper and cardboard was recycled, compared with just over 50% of glass containers. Paper recycling peaked at 80% in 1994, but subsequently fell to about 70% by the end of the period. Glass containers experienced a decline to 40% in 1990 before steadily rising to 60% in 2010.
Aluminium cans were first recorded in 1986 at roughly 5%. Their recycling rate increased dramatically, reaching nearly 50% by 2010, overtaking plastics by a wide margin. Plastics, on the other hand, began at only 2% in 1990 and rose gradually to about 9% in 2010, making them the least recycled material overall.