Washington’s State Recycling Rate Tops 50 Percent

Washington’s state recycling rate topped 50 percent for the first time in 2011, according to new data from the state Department of Ecology.

The state’s recycling rate reached 50.7 percent in 2011, attaining the 50-percent goal set in a 1989 state law, according to a news release.

Washington residents increased their recycling by 4 percent from 2010, adding more than 186,000 tons of municipal waste recycled. That equals 3.64 pounds per person per day collected for recycling, which is the highest ever measured in Washington, the department of ecology said.

Waste being disposed of by residents also dropped by 4 percent, with a decline of about 170,000 tons.

Total waste diverted from landfill disposal increased to 57.2 percent in 2011 from 54.3 percent in 2010. The state attributed that to less construction and demolition-related materials being disposed of in landfills.