Stagnation in U.S. Recycling Rates: Evaluating the Impact of Recycling Education Initiatives

• In Event: Cleaning the Water, Improving the Land: Policy Effects

Abstract

The municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling rate in the United States has remained largely stagnant over the past two decades, averaging approximately 34%. On a global scale, the United States currently ranks 27th in recycling performance. In response to this persistent plateau and as part of broader efforts to transition toward a circular economy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has articulated a national objective to increase the recycling rate to 50% by the year 2030. Central to this goal is the modernization of recycling collection systems and infrastructure; however, the concrete strategies for achieving this target remain underdeveloped. Existing literature attributes the stagnation in recycling rates to two primary factors: limited public participation and insufficient dissemination of effective recycling practices. Despite these recognized challenges, empirical evaluations of recycling-specific environmental education initiatives in the United States remain limited—particularly when contrasted with countries exhibiting higher recycling rates, such as Spain. To address this empirical gap, the present study investigates the influence of recycling education programs on state-level recycling outcomes, with the aim of assessing the potential of environmental education as a policy lever for enhancing public awareness and promoting pro-environmental behavior. This research utilizes data from the U.S. EPA’s Environmental Education Grants program, employing large language model (LLM)-assisted text mining techniques to construct a comprehensive dataset of recycling education initiatives funded between 1992 and 2022. Over this period, the EPA allocated between $2 million and $3.5 million annually, supporting more than 3,950 grants nationwide.

The analysis reveals that only 11% of EPA-funded environmental literacy projects have a specific focus on recycling, and that the prevalence of such projects has declined markedly since 2012—a trend that parallels the stagnation in national recycling rates. Additionally, the distribution of recycling education funding exhibits substantial geographic disparities: California received the highest levels of support, whereas Alabama and South Carolina received comparatively minimal funding. These patterns also underscore a persistent urban–rural divide in the accessibility of recycling education. Multivariate regression analyses indicate that the distribution of EPA-funded recycling education grants is positively associated with both population size and the number of landfill sites in a state—suggesting that grants are more likely to be allocated where opportunities for experiential learning and waste management challenges are more visible. Taken together, these findings highlight the critical need for increased and more equitable investment in recycling education as a means to raise public awareness, stimulate recycling behavior, and advance the United States' progress toward a circular economy. The study also provides several policy recommendations, including targeted investments in the recovery of rare materials and the development of cross-sector partnerships—particularly among government agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations—to enhance the effectiveness and geographic reach of recycling education programs.

 

 

Authors

• Chanho Billy Oh, Yale University
  Presenting Author

• Younsung Kim, George Mason University
  Non-Presenting Co-Author