The bar chart compares the percentage of household waste recycled, by material, in Zurich, Madrid and Cairo in 2022.
Overall, Zurich recycled the highest percentage of every material, while Cairo recycled the lowest percentage of every material. Glass and paper were generally recycled more than plastic and food waste.
Zurich's rates were impressive: 90% of its glass and 82% of its paper were recycled, along with 70% of metal. Plastic and food waste were lower, at 45% and 40% respectively, but still far above those of the other cities.
Madrid came second for all five materials. It recycled 60% of glass and 55% of paper, followed by 41% of metal and 22% of plastic. Its figure for food waste was just 8%, the lowest of its five categories, though still higher than Cairo's.
Cairo had the lowest recycling rates overall. Its highest rate was for metal, at 35%, which was close to Madrid's 41%. Paper stood at 20% and glass at only 12%. Cairo recycled 6% of its plastic and a mere 2% of its food waste, so Zurich's food waste rate was twenty times higher than Cairo's.