National Recycling Day Timeline

​2010

​Slowly but surely

Paper recycling increased by 89 percent since 1990.

​1997

​Time to celebrate

America Recycles Day (aka National Recycling Day) became a national holiday.

​September 15, 1990

​The power is yours

​Cartoon Network’s “Captain Planet” aired for the first time, encouraging children nationwide to recycle and help protect the planet.

1884

Sweden leads the charge

Sweden was one of the first countries to establish an official recycling system for glass bottles with refund deposits.