Final answer:
Experts suggest that a considerable portion of waste could be recycled or composted, with specific percentages depending on materials such as food residue and paper. While plastic recycling is less efficient, recycling and composting are still essential practices for environmental sustainability.
Step-by-step explanation:
Experts believe a significant portion of municipal waste could be either recycled or composted, addressing the large amounts of materials such as food residue, paper, and certain plastics present in waste streams. For example, in China, municipal solid waste consists of 55.9% food residue, much of which could be composted, and 8.5% paper that can be recycled. Moreover, materials such as glass, bottles, jars, tin cans, aluminum cans, and certain plastics fall into the recyclable category and represent a significant percentage that could avoid ending up in landfills.
However, challenges still exist in the recycling industry, especially regarding plastic waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that despite large quantities of plastic being produced, only 9% of all plastics ever produced have been recycled, indicating deficiencies in plastic recycling efficiency. Nonetheless, recycling and composting remain critical for environmental sustainability and resource conservation, reducing the need for de novo production from non-renewable resources and mitigating the problem of landfill overcapacity.