Mixed (Garbage) Bag.

The article discusses the recycling rates in the U.S. More and more, blue recycling bins are joining trash cans at the ends of American driveways. From 1990 to 2003 recycling rates in the country almost doubled, from 16.2 percent of total trash to 30.6 percent. There were improvements in nearly every category of solid waste. The average American produces 4.5 pounds of garbage each day, more than 3 pounds of which are sent to landfills or combustion facilities. Recycling rates for some items, glass and aluminum, in particular have fallen since 1995. Recycling of beverage containers has declined during the past 10 years, partly due to contamination caused by mixing recyclables in curbside containers and the lack of bottle deposits on non-carbonated beverages such as sports drinks.