Do You Recycle or Are You Committed to Recyclability?

Awareness vs. Habit

Studies show that around 95% of Americans say they believe recycling is important, yet only about 32% of recyclables actually make it to recycling facilities—most of it still ends up in landfills or incineration sites (Getting Ecological, 2024). This highlights a critical gap between awareness and action.

An Occasional Recycler vs. Someone with Recycling in Their DNA

It’s like comparing someone who goes for a run once a month to a true runner. One is performing an isolated act; the other is embodying a lifestyle. Recycling occasionally does not make you a recycler—it must become second nature, a habit integrated into your subconscious behavior.

A Better World Through Circular Habits

If recycling and circularity were embedded in our daily lives—through waste separation, reuse of packaging, and reduced material consumption—the planet would be significantly cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable. Small shifts in behavior can lead to large-scale change.

When Education Made the Difference: The 1980s–1990s

In the United States, the recycling movement gained traction during the 1980s, particularly in response to the so-called “landfill crisis.” By 1990, over 10,000 curbside recycling programs were active across the country. Public awareness campaigns—like Keep America Beautiful’s iconic “Crying Indian” commercial or the “Every Litter Bit Hurts” slogan—had a profound impact on the public mindset and habits at the time.

Those campaigns were successful in building a recycling-conscious society. However, recycling technologies and waste systems have since evolved, and public understanding hasn’t kept pace, resulting in a disconnect between what is possible and what is practiced.

Technology Evolved—But Public Behavior Didn’t

Today we have advanced sorting systems, reverse logistics, smart packaging, and biodegradable materials. Yet challenges persist:

• Many consumers are confused about what is actually recyclable.

• Only about 32% of Americans recycle consistently at home.

• Only 13.6% of plastic packaging is successfully recycled (WSJ, 2024).

• Millions of pounds of recyclable materials still end up in landfills every year due to miscommunication and lack of participation.

Ecosign: Sustainability as a Core Value

At Ecosign, sustainability is not just a buzzword, it’s a fundamental pillar of who we are. We believe that recyclability and circular economy models are essential to building a better world, and we actively support initiatives that make these practices part of everyday life.

We design and implement technologies that help industries and communities minimize waste, treat water and effluents efficiently, and support a more circular economy.

🌱 Want to discover how our sustainable solutions can help your business or community? 🔗 Visit: www.ecosigntechnologies.com.br

References

• Environmental Protection Agency. (2020). National overview: Facts and figures on materials, waste and recycling. U.S. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials

• Getting Ecological. (2024). What percentage of Americans recycle every year? https://gettingecological.com/sustainability-news/what-percentage-of-americans-recycle-every-year/

• The Wall Street Journal. (2024). Does everything in your blue bin really get recycled? You’d be surprised. https://www.wsj.com/us-news/climate-environment/plastic-recycling-waste-trash-tips-0a606230

• Keep America Beautiful. (n.d.). Our history. https://kab.org/about-us/our-history/

• Busch Systems. (2014). A brief timeline of the history of recycling. https://www.buschsystems.com/blog/2014/08/a-brief-timeline-of-the-history-of-recycling/

• History.com Editors. (2020, April 14). When did Americans start recycling? https://www.history.com/news/recycling-history-america

• The Guardian. (2024, February 15). ‘They lied’: Plastics producers deceived public about recycling, report reveals. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/15/plastic-recycling-oil-companies-study

• The Recycling Partnership. (2021). The Bridge to Circularity Report. https://recyclingpartnership.org/bridge-to-circularity/