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Top 10 recycled items in 2009

Earth911's 2009 Annual Recycling Report shows that as it gets easier to recycle, more Americans are searching for places to recycle household items.
Written by Melanie D.G. Kaplan, Inactive
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Of the top 10 states in which consumers searched for information on Earth911.com, California residents amounted to almost 30 percent.

Computers and batteries top the list of most recycled materials last year, according to the 2009 Annual Recycling Report from Earth911.com.

“Electronics have always been popular searches on Earth911.com, but with the increased attention these devices have received, this past year was our highest yet,” Earth911 President Corey Lambrecht said on their site. “Also, overall recycling searches increased 12 percent over 2008, as consumers want to know more about how to dispose of these items.”

The report also found that money is the top factor preventing consumers from adopting more green practices. Forty percent of respondents to a poll conducted on the Earth911 homepage noted that when they buy a product, the green factor of most importance is its recyclability.

Founded in 1991 as a hotline for recycling, Earth911 now has a database with more than 100,000 recycling locations across the nation, helping consumers recycle everything form cell phones to Christmas trees (No. 10 last year).

Here’s the complete list of most-recycled products in 2009:

  • 1. Computers
  • 2. Batteries
  • 3. Televisions
  • 4. Paint
  • 5. Aluminum Cans
  • 6. Used Motor Oil
  • 7. CFLs
  • 8. Glass
  • 9. Fluorescent Lamps
  • 10. Christmas Trees

The 2009 Annual Recycling Report also details the top 10 states that recycled using Earth911.com in 2009 (see pie chart). In addition to its website search functions, Earth911 also maintains a hotline (800-CLEANUP) and a free iPhone app, iRecycle.

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com

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