In 2021, the County's recycling rate was 69%. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection requires that all counties report their recycling rates each year. A county's recycling rate is the percentage of tons recycled divided by the total tons disposed and recycled. For the last six years, Pinellas County has led the state of Florida in recycling. However, there is still room for improvement. According to the County's 2021-22 Waste Composition Study, 17.6% of incoming waste was recyclable material, such as paper, cardboard, and plastic, glass, and metal containers; items that could have been recycled through local curbside and drop off recycling programs. Current and past recycling rates can be found on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection website. Click on "County Recycling Reports," select "Pinellas County" from the table, then open the PDF document. Scroll down to the "Recycling Rate" Section of the document.