The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released its annual report on the state of solid waste generation in municipalities for the year 2012. This report helps to provides government leaders, non-profit groups, businesses, and individual citizens with useful information about recycling rates, waste disposal amounts, and how hazardous and toxic waste is being removed.

Some key highlights include the following points:

• In 2012, the recycling rate in the United States fell two tenths of one percent from 2011. This marks a decrease from 34.7 percent to 34.5 percent.
• Americans were responsible for generating close to  two hundred and fifty one million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW). Of that total amount, eighty seven million tons were either composted or recycled. In 201, two hundred and fifty million tons of MSW was generated with recycling and composting amounts being the same as the 2012 figure.
• During calendar year 2012, Americans were responsible for producing 4.38 lbs of waste material each day. Of this total daily amount, only 1.51 lbs. were recycled, re-used, or composted.
• Of all the waste materials not sent to landfills, sixty five million tons were recycled, re-sold, or re-manufactured into new goods, twenty one million tons were used for the creation of composting material and twenty nine million tons were used in the creation of waste to energy.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: As the EPA report shows, the amount of waste materials we generate every day is on the rise but the amount we’re recycling or re-using is staying flat. If this habit is the case in your home, business, or town, it’s time to sit down and take a close look and how you can reduce the amount of trash your paying to dispose of and save money by recycling, re-selling, donating, re-using, or composting. When you embrace “green friendly” habits, you’ll find yourself saving green dollars every month!