A new report by the Recycling Partnership shows just how lacking recycling efforts have been in the U.S.
The survey shows that three-quarters of recyclable materials are lost at the household level.
That means Americans are taking 75% of their recyclables and simply throwing them in the trash.
Cardboard, milk cartons and paper are among the materials that could be recycled but are headed to landfills instead in much of the country.
However, the amount of participation in recycling programs varies wildly by state.
Utah has the highest participation rate at 70%. Arizona, Colorado and Nevada are also strong recycling states with rates near 68%.