SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): According to a new report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the country's recycling infrastructure needs to be modernized with investments of up to $43.4 billion. By 2030, the country's materials recovery rate could double with investments in organics and recycling infrastructure that range from $36.5 billion to $43.4 billion.

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In order to manage packaging materials, the research suggests investing between $22 billion and $28 billion in improving curbside pickup, drop-off, and processing infrastructure in MRFs. Additionally, the collecting and processing of organics requires an expenditure of $14 billion to $16 billion.

Approximately 82 million to 89 million tons of packaging and organic materials might be recycled as a result of the aforementioned investment. According to the U.S. EPA assessment, this may subsequently increase the country's recycling rate to 61% from 32% as of 2018. In 2018, around 94 million tons of materials were recycled, according to agency estimates.

According to the EPA, the planned investment will guarantee fair access to collections, the development of processing facilities, and improved domestic product end markets.