(The Center Square) – A new study gives Illinois high marks for managing waste.
The website LawnStarter compared 50 states based on over 30 metrics, including their waste-reducing policies, infrastructure, waste production and recycling rates.
Editor-in-Chief Jeff Herman said Illinois fared well in their rankings.
“Illinois landed at No. 11 in the group and recycling is where it landed best, but there is also another thing, in the production waste that is recycled and Illinois is No. 3 in that, so there are a lot of good things going on in Illinois in terms of recycling,” Herman said.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Americans throw away up to 63 pounds of garbage a week, almost double the usual amount.
“We’re just days away from a big wasteful time,” Herman said. “We’ve been getting all those online boxes for things we’ve ordered shopping wise. What do we do? Do we trash those boxes or do we recycle them? That’s a question to ask.”
Size matters when it comes to waste management. For America’s two smallest states by land area, that’s the biggest challenge. Their borders aren’t expanding, but their trash problems are.
Once again, Rhode Island and Delaware ranked among the bottom five states in landfill waste volume.
States in upper latitudes claimed none of the top 10 spots. According to the study, the top three states for waste management are Connecticut, California and Vermont.
The worst states for waste management are Alaska, Nevada and Montana.