But county solid waste officials say more still can be done to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills.

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County reported the county reached a 48 percent recycling rate in 2004 and appears ahead of schedule to achieving the agency's goal of 50 percent by 2009. The agency estimated 454,925 tons of the 949,665 tons of waste generated in the county was recycled last year.

"We feel confident within the next five years we can achieve 50 percent recycling in the county," said Peter Adrian, the agency's recycling coordinator.

The 48 percent overall recycling rate for 2004 was higher than the 43 percent rate achieved in 2002 and 2003 and continues a decade-long trend of increased recycling. In 1995, the county's recycling rate was only 29 percent. The rate includes recycling of residential, commercial, industrial, landscape waste, and construction and demolition debris.

Adrian attributes part of the increase to larger recycling carts with lids and wheels in many communities including Buffalo Grove, Lake Zurich, Lincolnshire and Vernon Hills. The new containers can handle a larger volume of items and residents don't have to separate the recyclables as they did in the past.

"We've seen an increase in the communities with the larger carts, anywhere from a 15 to 30 percent increase in residential recycling," he said. "As more communities take advantage of these cart systems, we'd certainly expect to see additional increases."

Agency officials say recycling saves landfill space and is good for the environment. The county's two landfills, Countryside Landfill in Grayslake and Onyx Landfill in Zion, have an expected combined life expectancy of 17 years, Adrian said.

The average resident of the county generates an estimated 7.5 pounds of garbage a day, said Kruti Patel, education director for Recycle America Alliance, a recycling center near the Countryside Landfill in Grayslake. Patel said their facility has seen in an increase in recycling of all types of materials including bottles, plastic, aluminum cans, and particularly paper.

Adrian said the agency hopes to further expand recycling efforts in future years, with a particular focus on reducing the amount of construction and demolition debris which goes into landfills.

"The waste that's generated in building a new home is comparable to the amount of waste that would be generated by residents living in that home for a period of seven to 10 years," he said.