STATE OF RECYCLING

In 2021, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) completed a recycling infrastructure and economic impact study. Read the full report.
In 2014, Indiana passed a statewide goal to reach a 50% recycling rate. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has been tracking progress on that goal since 2015. Check out IDEM’s Recycling Activity Reports which detail state recycling rates from year to year here.
Indiana’s current recycling rate is 16.8%.
Purdue’s 2012 MSW Characterization Study is the latest study on the composition of Indiana’s municipal solid waste found at landfills and provides insight on what materials Indiana could work to reduce and capture more effectively in our recycling systems. There are many unrealized opportunities for diversion of food waste, fiber, metals, plastics, and textiles.
If you are interested in learning about the specific recycling rate for the city in which you live – reach out to your municipality’s Department of Public Works or county’s Solid Waste Management District.

According to the EPA, the current recycling rate for the USA is 34.7%.
While total MSW generation continues to trend upward, our recycling rate has largely stagnated around 34%. View recycling trends from 1960 to today.
Lead acid batteries and cardboard continue to have the highest recovery rates while plastics and glass fall behind – see the graph below for more commodities.
Check out EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Facts & Figures Reports with detailed information from year to year.

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