Most Recycle Friendly Cities in the United States

Although California is having a problem with water availability at the moment, the state is the most recycle friendly. San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, and San Diego are all top cities when it comes to keeping recyclable materials out of the landfills.

California Beaches

For many years now California has implemented different recycle friendly programs, bans, and laws that have keep the beaches clean and the trash off the ground. In San Francisco you receive fines if you put recyclables or compostable, like food waste, in the regular trash instead of the proper curbside bins. San Jose and San Francisco have a Zero Waste initiative where all recyclables and compostable must be separated into their respectable containers, or people will be contacted by a city employee to provide them with information on the initiative goals.

Recycle Friendly Incentives

There is no doubt that the environmental awareness is heightened in California, and yes, there are fines and reprimands if you don’t follow the programs, but there are also recycle friendly incentives available if you do choose to recycle. In California, the recycling plants will pay for you to bring your plastic and aluminum and let them recycle it. Another initiative that has worked in the most recycle friendly cities is finding ways to reduce plastic bag and bottle usage. Some cities charge for plastic bags at places like the grocery store. And truly, this has help cut down the number of plastic bags that end up in the landfills. Unfortunately, that did not work as well in Dallas, Texas where the tax was only in place for one week before ending.

It is important to keep things that can be recycled out of the landfills. Using reusable shopping bags, keeping plastic bag and bottle consumption to a minimum, recycling those things that can be recycled are all great practical ways cities have found to be a little friendlier to the environment.