Recycling participation varies substantially by state and material. The 2024 State of Recycling: The Present and Future of Residential Recycling in the U.S. estimates that 59% of U.S. households with recycling access use their available program, while 43% of all households participate when access and use are considered together. The report draws on multi-year field measurement studies and the Recycling Partnership’s national database.
Table of contents
- How recycling participation is measured
- National household recycling benchmarks
- Northeast and District of Columbia rates
- Midwest recycling participation rates
- Southern recycling participation rates
- Western recycling participation rates
- What participating households capture
How recycling participation is measured
The report uses two different household measures. Program participation is the percentage of households that have recycling access and use the service available to them. Overall participation is the percentage of all households that participate, including households that may not have access to a recycling program. These measures describe different stages of the recycling system and should not be treated as interchangeable.
The state figures below are program participation estimates: each percentage applies to households with recycling access in that state. They are not directly comparable with the national 43% overall household participation estimate. All state rates come from the report’s state-by-state program participation table and are estimates for the report’s 2024 publication. The source is the Recycling Partnership’s State of Recycling 2024 report.
National household recycling benchmarks
The national figures provide context for interpreting the state results:
- An estimated 59% of U.S. households with recycling access use their available recycling program.
- An estimated 43% of all U.S. households participate in recycling when both access and program use are considered.
- The report identifies at least 90% household participation as the level for an optimal U.S. recycling system.
- Among households that participate in a curbside recycling program, the average recyclable-material capture rate is 57%.
These measures show why access and participation must be considered together. A household can have a recycling service available without using it, while another household may want to recycle but lack access. The 59% program participation estimate describes use among households already served; the 43% overall estimate includes the broader access question. Both are multi-year estimates presented in the 2024 report, rather than measurements relabeled as 2026.
For readers comparing places, the denominator is the key detail. A state rate can look strong among served households while leaving unanswered how many households receive no service. Conversely, a lower program rate may reflect differences in how services are offered, communicated, or used. The report’s definitions keep those questions separate.
The report’s 90% benchmark is a stated system goal, not an estimate of current U.S. participation. Compared with that benchmark, the national access-and-use figures describe a system that has substantial room to expand participation. The 57% curbside capture estimate adds another layer: even among participating households, participation does not mean that every accepted recyclable is placed in the recycling stream.
Northeast and District of Columbia rates
The Northeast and District of Columbia estimates range from 40% to 67% among households with recycling access. Rhode Island has the highest listed rate in this group at 67%, followed by New Jersey at 64%. The District of Columbia and Massachusetts are each at 61%, while Maryland is at 60% and Delaware at 59%.
| Location | Program participation among households with access |
|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 67% |
| New Jersey | 64% |
| District of Columbia | 61% |
| Massachusetts | 61% |
| Maryland | 60% |
| Delaware | 59% |
| Connecticut | 58% |
| New York | 55% |
| Pennsylvania | 55% |
| New Hampshire | 50% |
| Maine | 45% |
| Vermont | 40% |
Connecticut’s estimated program participation rate was 58%. New York and Pennsylvania were each estimated at 55%, and New Hampshire was 50%. At the lower end of the group, Maine was 45% and Vermont was 40%. These figures are state estimates from the 2024 report’s program-participation table; they describe use by households with access rather than the share of every household in each location.
Midwest recycling participation rates
The Midwest estimates run from 53% to 65% among households with recycling access. Illinois has the highest listed rate at 65%, followed by North Dakota at 64%. Minnesota is estimated at 61%, Wisconsin at 60%, and Nebraska and South Dakota at 59% each.
Michigan’s rate is 58%, while Kansas is 57%. Indiana and Ohio are each at 56%, Kentucky is 55%, and Iowa is 54%. Missouri has an estimated rate of 53% among households with recycling access.
| State | Rate | State | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 65% | North Dakota | 64% |
| Minnesota | 61% | Wisconsin | 60% |
| Nebraska | 59% | South Dakota | 59% |
| Michigan | 58% | Kansas | 57% |
| Indiana | 56% | Ohio | 56% |
| Kentucky | 55% | Iowa | 54% |
| Missouri | 53% | — | — |
The spread within this group is meaningful when reading state-level program estimates: the listed high is Illinois at 65%, while the listed low is Missouri at 53%. The figures should still be interpreted within the report’s stated scope. They are estimates of service use among households with access, not a direct ranking of total household recycling across the entire country.
Southern recycling participation rates
Southern program participation estimates range from 41% to 67% among households with recycling access. Florida has the highest listed rate at 67%. Texas is estimated at 58%, Virginia at 56%, and Mississippi, North Carolina, and Oklahoma at 54% each.
| State | Program participation |
|---|---|
| Florida | 67% |
| Texas | 58% |
| Virginia | 56% |
| Mississippi | 54% |
| North Carolina | 54% |
| Oklahoma | 54% |
| Georgia | 52% |
| Alabama | 51% |
| Louisiana | 49% |
| Arkansas | 47% |
| South Carolina | 47% |
| Tennessee | 47% |
| West Virginia | 41% |
Georgia’s estimated rate is 52%, followed by Alabama at 51% and Louisiana at 49%. Arkansas, South Carolina, and Tennessee are each estimated at 47%. West Virginia is the lowest listed Southern rate at 41%. As with the other regional figures, these percentages apply only where recycling access exists and should not be substituted for overall household participation.
Western recycling participation rates
The Western estimates range from 51% to 72% among households with recycling access. Hawaii has the highest listed rate in the region at 72%, followed by Utah at 70% and Nevada at 69%. Colorado is estimated at 68%, Arizona at 67%, and Oregon and Washington at 66% each.
| State | Rate | State | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 72% | Utah | 70% |
| Nevada | 69% | Colorado | 68% |
| Arizona | 67% | Oregon | 66% |
| Washington | 66% | California | 65% |
| Idaho | 58% | Montana | 57% |
| New Mexico | 54% | Wyoming | 52% |
| Alaska | 51% | — | — |
California’s estimated program participation rate is 65%. Idaho is at 58%, Montana at 57%, New Mexico at 54%, Wyoming at 52%, and Alaska at 51%. The Western group therefore contains both the report’s highest listed state estimate and several rates close to the national 59% estimate for households with access. That comparison is descriptive only; the state estimates and national estimate have the same broad program-participation concept but remain estimates from the report’s measurement framework.
What participating households capture
Participation is only part of the recycling pathway. Where a material is accepted by the community, the report estimates how much participating households put into recycling rather than trash. Across accepted materials, capture varies widely.
| Material | Captured | Trashed |
|---|---|---|
| Cardboard | 81% | 19% |
| Glass containers | 62% | 38% |
| Mixed paper | 60% | 40% |
| HDPE bottles and jars | 59% | 41% |
| PET bottles | 55% | 45% |
| Polypropylene | 50% | 50% |
| Steel cans | 47% | 53% |
| Film and flexibles | 43% | 57% |
| Non-bottle PET | 30% | 70% |
| Aluminum cans | 20% | 80% |
Cardboard has the highest reported capture estimate at 81%, with 19% trashed where accepted. Glass containers are captured at 62%, and mixed paper at 60%. HDPE bottles and jars are captured at 59%, while PET bottles are captured at 55%.
Polypropylene is evenly divided in the estimate: 50% captured and 50% trashed where accepted. Steel cans have a 47% capture estimate and 53% trash estimate. Film and flexibles are captured at 43%, with 57% trashed. The lowest capture estimates in this list are non-bottle PET at 30% and aluminum cans at 20%; their corresponding trash estimates are 70% and 80%.
These material figures apply only where the community accepts the material. They are participant capture estimates from the 2024 report, not claims that every recycling program accepts every listed item. Local acceptance rules remain essential when deciding what belongs in a recycling bin.