Recycling

Keeps America Beautiful & Strong

Recycling offers an America that is more self-reliant, more beautiful and sustainable

The vast majority of Americans support recycling. The support goes beyond the act of putting waste into the recycling bin.

 

  • Consumers want more products made from recycled materials.
  • Businesses are developing new ways to use recycled materials to meet consumer demand.
  • Municipalities want to recycle more, reducing the need for landfills

RECYCLING

SAVES ENERGY & RESOURCES

We use fewer natural resources such as trees, water and minerals when we recycle. Plus, when you extract and process fewer raw materials, you save lots of energy.

Reduces Landfills

Recycling means less waste, which cuts down on the need for landfills and incinerators.

Reduces Greenhouse Gases

Extracting and processing raw materials causes greenhouse gas emissions– recycling reduces this pollution.

Sustains the Environment

Recycling now helps to create a better planet for future generations

Creates Jobs

Extracting and processing raw materials causes greenhouse gas emissions– recycling reduces this pollution.

Gives Garbage New Life

When you recycle used items, you create something new (which is pretty cool).

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Affiliate Network

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Partners for Change

Partnering for Change

Keep America Beautiful works across sectors to address the challenges in implementing dramatic increases in recycling.

Working Within Communities

KAB affiliates work in thousands of towns and cities to bring together municipal, school, business and community leaders to advance recycling.

Our affiliates also mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers each year to clear litter from our parks, streets and waterways. Over the past decade, 750 million pounds of litter and recyclables have been collected by KAB volunteers. About 34% of the litter collected is now recycled.

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Community Affiliates In Action

Keep Texas Beautiful: Bringing Sectors Together for Rural Recycling 

Keep Texas Recycling (KTR) focuses on cooperative opportunities for recycling in rural and underserved communities. KTR’s services include implementation consultation, negotiations with purchasers of recyclables , community outreach and grant writing services. KTR members have recycled over 310 million pounds since 1994.

Keep California Beautiful: Educating the Next Generation 

The K-12 Recycling Challenge promotes and encourages recycling across California. The competition between schools and recycling coordinators resulted in over 7.7 million pounds of recyclables collected in the past five years.

Keep Georgia Beautiful: Creating Jobs Through Recycling 

In 2021, Keep Georgia Beautiful affiliates recovered over 103 million pounds of recyclable materials. Building its directory of collectors, brokers, processors and end users, KGB actively supports the development of the market for recyclable materials.

Taking Statewide Action

Advancing Statewide Action
Communities may lack the necessary resources to launch and sustain effective recycling initiatives. Recycling success also requires regional, cross-community coordination. KAB’s statewide affiliates work to bring resources and coordination to local efforts.

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Partners for Change

Working Together

Educating And Organizing

At a national level, we are working to increase the commitment to recycling through educating and organizing.

Our national educational campaigns center on the following programs:

America Recycles Day®

A national event that brings awareness, appreciation and renewed commitment to recycling in the United States! Learn how you can be part of this national day of action. 

Take The #BERECYCLED PLEDGE

Over 100,000 people have taken the #BERECYCLED PLEDGE. They’ve committed to taking actions in their home, communities and workplaces. KAB provides the education and tools kits that help pledge-takers take action.

National Conference

Each year, leaders, activists and educators from the KAB network of over 700 state and local affiliates meet in Washington, D.C. Participants expand their knowledge, hear from industry leaders, share their challenges and successes, and network among their peers.

Cigarette Litter Prevention Program

Since 2002, our Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, the nation’s largest program aimed at eliminating cigarette litter, has been implemented in over 1,800 communities, reducing cigarette litter by HALF within six months, on average.

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Recycling Resources

Looking for additional information on recycling? Whether you’re an individual looking to find recycling near you, a teacher looking for resources, or a corporation seeking direction on how to be more sustainable, take a look at our resource page! (link to new resource page that holds resources/links/downloads)

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KAB Volunteers By The Numbers

Last year alone, over 400,000 hard-working volunteers logged more than 2.9 Million volunteer hours over the course of over 64,000 events.

What did our combined service to our communities accomplish?

 of litter, debris, and recycling collected

 cleaned of litter

of streets, roads, and highways cleaned and beautified

of rivers, lakes, wetlands and shores cleaned

planted, helping restore communities

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Affiliate Network

Individual Action Center

Partners for Change