‘bottlesphere’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Wait — don’t toss that bottle! Yesterday, Virginia released a report of its recycling rates that shows we’re doing well, but could do more.
In both 2008 and 2007, Virginia’s rate stayed the same at 38.5%. Northern Virginia’s rate was just below that at 37%, up only 2% from the previous year, putting it in fourth place behind the Richmond (53%), Fredericksburg (47%), and Bristol (40%) areas.
Kudos to Falls Church for doing the most in the area; at a rate of nearly 60%, the city recycled 8,600 tons of materials. For comparison, the 2007 national rate was 33%.
When it comes to items you or I might toss into the recycling bin, electronics and commingled recyclables were up by half or more. That’s great! Is it the whole picture?
Well, overall, recycling of common materials including paper, metal, plastic, glass, yard waste, and automotive items went down by 4%. What rose were credits for industrial things like construction materials and recycled residues. The report didn’t mention if Virginia suffers the same issue as DC, with recyclables ending up in the garbage.
Keep on recycling, No.Va., and next year we can lead the commonwealth!
