recycling

Austria recycles or composts 62.8% of its municipal waste — the highest rate in the European Union, the benchmark organization for standardized recycling statistics. Germany follows at approximately 67% when historical figures are used, with ten EU countries exceeding 50%. Outside Europe, South Korea leads Asia with an overall recycling and recovery rate that exceeds 80% through a deposit-refund system widely studied as a global model.

The world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022 — a record. China produces the most e-waste in absolute terms (12 million tonnes). Norway and Iceland generate the most per capita. Only 22% of e-waste is formally recycled. E-waste contains $62 billion in recoverable precious metals annually.

We produce 400 million tonnes of plastic per year. Most ends up in landfills, in the ocean, or as microplastics in our food. Here's the science of plastic pollution and what's actually being done.