Despite the high amount of waste being discarded in over 1,900 landfills across the United States, U.S. recycling rates have been increasing since the 1960s. In 2010, about one third of the roughly 250 million tons of total municipal solid waste generated was recovered for recycling.
The percentage of paper products and metals recycled is particularly high. With a recycling rate of around 79 percent, lead was the most recycled metal in 2010. It was followed by iron and steel, reaching recycling rates of around 72 percent. In 2010, reported consumption of iron and steel scrap came to approximately 60 million metric tons, and the value of iron and steel recycled from scrap amounted to around two billion U.S. dollars that year.