The data illustrate the percentage of four individual objects that were recycled in certain nations from 1982 to 2010.
Overall, paper and cardboard were the most recycled materials throughout the period, whereas aluminum can recycling experienced a dramatic increase. In contrast, plastic had the lowest recycling percentage during this time, and the recycling rate for glass containers showed a slight decrease at the beginning but then rose steadily afterward.
At the start of 1982, only paper and cardboard, along with glass containers, were being recycled. Paper and cardboard consistently remained the most recycled items throughout the period, starting at a rate of around 73% in 1982. This percentage fluctuated slightly until 1990, after which there was a significant increase, reaching its highest point of 80%. However, this rate declined throughout the remainder of the period, ending at 70% in 2010. Glass containers, on the other hand, experienced a slight decrease between 1982 and 1990, dropping from 50% to 40%. Subsequently, this rate began to climb and reached its peak in 2010.
Both aluminum and plastic showed continuous increases throughout the specified period. Aluminum recycling started at approximately 2% in 1996 and rose significantly to about 43% by the end of 2010. Plastic recycling also increased slightly, from around 2% to 9% over the entire period.