‘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? Continue reading →