From industry to government, from schools to households, America's commitment to recycling has helped keep its communities clean and its economy strong. Federal agencies are further reducing waste generation, increasing recycling and purchases of recycled products. Read the following fact sheet and see what we can do to better protect our natural resources, improve our quality of life, and strengthen our economy.
從工業領域到政府部門，從學校到家庭，美國在垃圾回收利用方面的努力為保持社區清潔和經濟強盛提供了支持。聯邦部門正進壹步減少廢棄物的產生，增加回收利用，促進回收產品的購買。閱讀以下描述現實的文章，看看我們能做什麽以更好地保護自然資源，提高我們的生活質量並堅固我們的經濟。
Recycling is one of the best environmental success stories of the late 20th century. Today, curbside recycling collection programs reach the majority of the American population. In fact more people recycle household waste than vote in elections. This nationwide, grassroots effort creates an immense flow of materials. Recycling, including composting, diverted 57 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 1996, up from 34 million tons in 1990 --- a 67 percent increase in just 6 years. In 2005, the diversion rate resulting from recycling and composting is projected to reach 83 million tons, or 35 percent of all solid waste.
垃圾回收是20世紀後期最成功的環境保護事例之壹。如今，道路垃圾回收計劃已經觸及美國大多數人。事實上，回收家具垃圾的人比參加競選投票的人更多。全國範圍內，普通群眾們的努力帶來了大量的物質材料。垃圾回收，包括混合堆肥，在1996年改變了5700噸原來要進入廢物填充地或焚燒爐的材料的命運，這壹數據在1990年為3400萬噸——僅僅6年增長了67%。由垃圾回收和混合堆肥帶來的材料處理的轉換率，預計到2005年為8500萬噸，即所有固體廢物的35%。
To understand how large this amount is, imagine recycling boxes 3 feet long(27 cubit feet) filled with recovered materials stacked end to end, forming a bridge from the earth to the moon. In 1996, these boxes would reach three quarters of the way to the moon. When we achieve our 2005 recycling goal of 35 percent, the boxes of recyclables will reach the moon.
要理解這壹數量有多大，想象裝滿回收材料的3英尺長（27立方英尺）的回收箱壹個接壹個整齊地推成壹列，形成從地球到月亮的橋梁。在1996年，這些箱子可以達到這座橋的3/4。當我們達到2005年35%的回收目標時，填滿可回收物的箱子就能達到月球了
Is recycling worth all the effort? Is profitability the only bottom line? Some observers suggest that current profitability is the only measure of success. This perspective focuses solely on how an individual recycling program impacts a community's total waste management costs, compared to the alternative of sending everything to a landfill or incinerator. Other observers suggest a broader view of the costs and benefits of recycling.
垃圾回收值得這所有的努力嗎？創造利潤是唯壹的底線嗎？壹些觀察員提出，眼下的利潤是衡量成功的唯壹標準。這種觀點只考慮壹個單獨的回收計劃如何影響壹個社區的全部垃圾管理費用，與之相比的是另壹種選擇，即將壹切都送往廢物填充地或焚燒爐造成的費用。其他壹些觀察員建議使用更開闊的視角看待垃圾回收利用的費用和益處。
Although experience differs from one recycling program to another, the most successful programs, including many with the highest diversion rates, are cost-effective and, indeed, profitable. Inevitably, markets for collected recyclables go up and down. To somewhat insulate recycling programs from severe market swings, the efficiency of recycling programs must continually be improved. One of the goals for the recycling community in the next decade must be to identify and replicate the factors that determine success.
雖然大部分成功的垃圾回收計劃經驗不壹，但是，包括很多具有高垃圾轉化率的計劃在內，都是經濟上可行並確實創造了利潤。回收物品的市場不可避免地起伏不定。為了壹定程度上防止垃圾回收計劃受到市場嚴重搖擺不定的影響，垃圾回收計劃的效率必須不斷提高。在接下來的十年裏，參與垃圾回收的社區的目標之壹是，鑒定並復制傳播決定成功的因素。
While efforts to learn from and adopt the methods used by the most efficient programs are ongoing throughout the country, it is important to recognize the many economic and environmental benefits recycling already achieves, many of these benefits might not be apparent to casual observers, might be clouded by municipal accounting and taxing peculiarities, or might not be reflected in the market prices of contracts between cities and recyclers, the full energy savings from recycling used beverage containers, for example, is not included in the prices negotiated in a curbside recycling contract.
舉國上下都在努力學習和采用最高效的垃圾回收計劃所運用的辦法，那麽發現垃圾回收已經取得的很多經濟和環境的好處就尤為重要。很多好處可能在不細致的觀察員看來不明顯，或者因為市政的會計結算和稅收特點難以理解，或者在城市和垃圾回收人員的合同的市場價格上沒能反映出來。比如，回收利用飲料容器節省的全部能源就沒有包括在道路垃圾回收合同協商的價格中。