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LaPorte County, Indiana |
Indiana Waste Trends
Over the past decade, recycling efforts have increased significantly. Once an exception, recylcing is becoming more and more the rule for households across the county and state. Unfortunately, as recycling efforts increase, so, too, do our levels of waste generation! As the graph below indicates, total waste generated in the state has increased from just over 10 million tons in 1993 to over 15 million tons in 2001!
Now, the big question: Are our recycling efforts keeping pace with our increased waste output?
Fortunately, for Indiana, the answer to this question is yes! As the bar graph below indicates, the percentage of solid waste diverted (mostly recycled and composted, instead of sent to a landfill or incinerator), has grown steadily over the past decade, from under 20% in 1993 to almost 40% in 2001.
This is positive news, but with solid waste being generated in record numbers, the recylcing efforts will have to continue increase. The percentages may have risen, but the actual amount of trash we're sending to landfills each year is gradually increasing. And so while we may feel somewhat relieved that we're recycling a greater fraction of the trash we produced, we're still producing more trash!
Curious about how this trends compare to the national trends? Click here.
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