National recycling rate stays flat

Figures released today by the Environmental Protection Agency show the U.S. municipal recycling rate was 34.5 percent in 2012, a fall of 0.2 percentage points from the 2011 level.

The agency's municipal solid waste (MSW) report indicates Americans recovered around 65 million tons of MSW via recycling in 2012, a drop of roughly 1 million tons year-over-year. Composting volumes, meanwhile, grew from 20 millions tons in 2011 to 21 million tons in 2012.

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