The line graph illustrates the recycling rates of four materials – paper & cardboard, glass containers, aluminium cans, and plastics from 1982 to 2010 in a particular location.
Overall, recycling rates for three materials improved significantly, while the rate for plastics remained unchanged over two decades. Initially, paper & cardboard and glass containers had the highest recycling rates, but by the end of the period, aluminium cans experienced the most dramatic increase.
In 1982, the recycling rates for paper & cardboard and glass containers were similar, with a difference of 15 percent. However, the recycling rate of glass containers slightly decreased from 50 percent to 45 percent in 1986, reaching its lowest point of 40 percent in 1990. During the same period, the recycling rate of paper & cardboard reached a high level at 70 percent in 1986, before declining to 65 percent in 1990. By 1994, both materials saw a recovery, with paper & cardboard reaching 80 percent -the highest rate over the period and glass containers rising to 50 percent. From that point, the rate for glass continued to rise, reaching 60 percent by 2010, while paper & cardboard gradually declined to 70 percent.
On the other hand, aluminium cans and plastics began being recycled in 1987, both starting with rates below 10 percent. While the recycling rate of plastics remained steady throughout the period, aluminium saw steady growth, reaching 10 percent by 1990. Between 1990 and 2002, aluminium recycling increased gradually before rising sharply to 45 percent by 2010. In contrast, plastic recycling saw only a slight improvement, reaching just under 10 percent by the end of the period.