International environment consultancy Eunomia, with support from Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL), released a new research report entitled "The 50 States of Recycling: A State-by-State Assessment of Containers and Packaging Recycling Rates" (www.Ball.com/RealCircularity), offering the first state-by-state comparison of recycling rates for the most commonly used containers and packaging materials throughout the United States.

Notable findings include:

 

• Not all recycling is created equal, and we should prioritize recycling of materials that have the greatest potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the highest value for creating new products.
• Collection and recycling are not synonymous, as the quantity of material collected for recycling today is often far greater than what is actually processed and recycled into new products with non-recyclable contaminants making the entire system less effective.
• Recycling policies, such as a Deposit Return System (DRS), or "bottle bill," and investment in infrastructure, such as curbside collection, are crucial to effective recycling systems.
• Overall, the states that have more comprehensive and current recycling data along with a state-driven reporting system achieve higher recycling rates, demonstrating the importance of accurate measurement in moving the U.S. towards a more circular economy.