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
Reduces Landfills
Reduces Greenhouse Gases
Sustains the Environment
Recycling now helps to create a better planet for future generations
Creates Jobs
Gives Garbage New Life
Take Action Now
Affiliate Network
Individual Action Center
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.
Community Affiliates In Action
KEEP INDIAN RIVER BEAUTIFUL: KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL’S AFFILIATE OF THE MONTH FOR MARCH 2023
STAMFORD, Conn. (March 1, 2023) – Keep America Beautiful® is proud to announce our next Affiliate of the Month. In this KAB initiative, we feature the great work being done in our network of 700 certified affiliates. Our Affiliate of the Month for March 2023 is Keep...
KAB in the News: February 2023
STAMFORD, Conn. (January 2023) – Every day, we are tracking articles, stories, and mentions about the efforts of the thousands of staff members and volunteers who make Keep America Beautiful the nation’s leading community improvement organization. We feel it’s...
KEEP INDIANAPOLIS BEAUTIFUL: KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL’S AFFILIATE OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY 2023
STAMFORD, Conn. (February 1, 2023) – Keep America Beautiful® is proud to announce our next Affiliate of the Month. In this KAB initiative, we feature the great work being done in our network of 700 certified affiliates. Our Affiliate of the Month for February 2023 is...
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.
Take Action Now
Affiliate Network
Individual Action Center
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.
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)
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