The graph illustrates the recycling rates of four materials—plastics, aluminium cans, glass containers, and paper & cardboard—between 1982 and 2010.
Overall, paper and cardboard had the highest recycling rates throughout the period, while plastics remained the least recycled material. The recycling of aluminium cans increased significantly, whereas glass containers experienced some fluctuations.
In 1982, the recycling rate of paper and cardboard stood at 65% and rose steadily to reach its peak of around 80% in 1994. However, this figure declined slightly to 70% by 2010.Similarly, the recycling rate of glass containers started at 50% in 1982, dropped to 40% in 1990, and then rose gradually to about 60% by 2010.
The recycling of aluminium cans saw a dramatic increase over the period. Starting at around 5% in 1986, it rose consistently, reaching nearly 45% by 2010.By contrast, plastics remained the least recycled material. Its recycling rate began at about 2% in 1990 and experienced a slight increase to approximately 8% by 2010
