Signature program
One day the whole country recycles together
November 15. America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to recycling in the United States — a single date to learn what actually goes in the bin, and to keep doing it the other 364 days.
How You Can Join the Fun America Recycles Day isn’t just a one-day thing – it’s a chance to look at your recycling habits and make some awesome changes that will last. Here’s how you can get involved:
The movement, measured
What one day moved
521
Recycling events
Held across the country
1,706,858
Pounds recycled
Collected on and around the day
1,300,567
Impressions
People reached with the message
Source: Keep America Beautiful — America Recycles Day 2021 results, as reported in the 25th-anniversary release (kab.org)
Three ways in
Recycle more, and recycle right
One wrong item can contaminate a whole load. Knowing what belongs in your bin is the highest-value thing most people can do.
Take the #AmericaRecycles Challenge!
This November, America Recycles Day® becomes America Recycles Month! Join the fun — complete a daily challenge, share using #AmericaRecycles, and tag @KeepAmericaBeautiful. How many days in a row can you reduce, reuse, and recycle?
Get Ready to Celebrate
America Recycles Day!
Small actions can lead to big impact! Each year on November 15, millions of Americans come together for America Recycles Day – a day all about spreading the word on how recycling helps us reduce waste, save energy, and conserve precious resources.
What is America Recycles Day?
America Recycles Day, brought to you by Keep America Beautiful, is the only nationally recognized day that’s all about recycling! It’s a time to learn, get inspired, and take action. Whether at home, school, or work, we can all pitch in to recycle more and waste less.
From plastic bottles and aluminum cans to paper and electronics – recycling helps keep tons of materials out of landfills, saves natural resources, and reduces pollution. And who wouldn’t want to be part of that?
SAVE THE DATE! November 15th
ONE DAY to Educate.
ONE DAY to Motivate.
ONE DAY to Make Recycling Bigger & Better.
The Impact
In 2025, our volunteers, affiliates, and partners made a big impact through our America Recycles Day initiative!
Keep America Beautiful Honors Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow with 2025 America Recycles Day Hero Award
November 17, 2025 · McCall Vrydaghs
From Garage Shelves to Beautiful Communities: The Power of Paint Recycling
November 14, 2025 · McCall Vrydaghs
Give Thanks, Not Waste: Simple Ways to Celebrate a More Sustainable Thanksgiving
November 11, 2025 · McCall Vrydaghs
Recycling reality check quiz
Have you taken the Recycling Reality Check Quiz yet? Test your knowledge today!
Thanks to Our America Recycles National Sponsors:
America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. Held on and around November 15, it asks a narrow, answerable question: not whether you recycle, but whether you recycle right.
The day focuses on individual action — being mindful of what you consume, knowing where and how to recycle it, and pledging to keep doing both. One day to educate, one day to motivate, a lifetime to make it happen.
The #BeRecycled pledge
More than 100,000 people have committed to choosing a recycled lifestyle at home, in their communities and at work. Keep America Beautiful supplies the education and toolkits that turn a pledge into a habit.
Why the day exists
Recycling's problems are collective — contamination, collection economics, end markets — but its fixes start individually. ARD is the point in the year when the national conversation and the household bin line up.
ARD FAQs
No. We celebrate America Recycles Day throughout the fall and even through December, so hold it when it is best for you. Many of our event organizers choose to host on weekends in November.
We understand that not everyone can take the time to host an event; fortunately, you can still have a huge impact on our success by simply showing up for an event in your community.
Do you have a great idea for an America Recycles Day event? Remember, an America Recycles Day event can be as simple as visiting a classroom to talk about recycling or staffing a table with local recycling information at a local grocery store. Or, it can be as involved as organizing a collection drive for hard-to-recycle items, like electronics.
We are here to help you figure out when, where and how to recycle in your community. Visit our recycling resource to find a recycling location near you. These will direct you to different recycling resource pages, where you can enter the item type and/or your zip code to find the nearest recycling facility.
Our toolkit has all the information, templates, and instructions you will need to make your ARD event a success. We have go-to guides with step-by-step instructions for events, as well as templates and downloadable posters, flyers, and other tools to promote recycling awareness in your community.
One of the most valuable things you can give away at your event is information on what can and can’t be recycled in your community. Your friends and neighbors want to know what to do with those pizza boxes, yogurt cups, and frozen dinner trays! Customize and print some of our templates to hand out at your event.
Consider asking local businesses to donate recycled-content products or locally-made food for your event, in exchange for recognition at your event and/or a mention in your event’s advertising materials.