Recycling and Composting

Recycling and composting are the ways communities recover materials from waste instead of burying or burning them. Recycling sorts and reprocesses items such as paper, metal, glass, and plastic, while composting turns food and yard waste into soil material. Local governments and private companies run the programs, and states and federal agencies set standards and offer support.

People usually ask what happens to recyclables after pickup, who decides what is accepted, and how programs are paid for. They also ask how markets for recycled materials affect local programs, how composting is organized, and how government policy encourages or requires people to keep materials out of landfills.