of US plastic waste recycled in 2021

US plastic recycling has fallen, not risen: an estimate by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of 5–6% for 2021, against an official 8.7% for 2018 from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Impact: Economy, Policy and law

Region: United States

Value: 5–6%
Unit: %
Data year: 2021
Trend: Falling
Source name: Beyond Plastics & The Last Beach Cleanup 2022
Source link: beyondplastics.org/publications/us-plastics-recycling-rate
Confidence: Evidence: Medium
Caveat / scope: NGO estimate; EPA's most recent official figure is 8.7% for 2018. Where a single number is needed, we use the middle of the range.
Verified on: 22 September 2026

Sources last verified 22 September 2026. Page updated 24 September 2026. How we check sources

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