Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Older Americans are doing more to trim their waste than younger generations.

While three-quarters of American adults recycle something in their own home, baby boomers - aged 43 to 61 - and mature adults -those over 62 - are a bit more likely to take steps to preserve the nation's natural resources than "echo boomers" between 18 and 30, according to a survey by Harris Interactive. Seventy-seven percent of boomers and 81 percent of mature adults recycle regularly, compared to 70 percent of echo boomers. Gen Xers, however, are doing their part to improve quality of life, with 80 percent of adults between 31 and 42 recycling.

Eco-conscious baby boomers, mature adults and Gen Xers are more likely to recycle aluminum or metal cans than any other material, with more than two-thirds in each age group sorting cans for collection. In comparison, only about 60 percent of echo boomers salvage cans. Among all age groups, three in five adults recycle paper and 57 percent recycle plastic. A little more than half of adults recycle glass.

The study, which included input from 2,372 adults, found regional recycling differences, too. for example, boomers and mature adults who live in the West and East Coasts are more likely to recycle their waste than those in other regions.

Many U.S. communities are taking recycling more seriously to protect the environment, and the sense of urgency is prompting more action. Today, this country recycles 32 percent of its waste, a rate that has almost doubled during the past 15 years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. While recycling has grown in general, recycling of specific materials has grown even more: 50 percent of all paper, 34 percent of all plastic soft drink bottles, 45 percent of all aluminum beer and soft drink cans, 63 percent of all steel packaging, and 67 percent of all major appliances are now recycled.

Twenty years ago, only one curbside recycling program existed in the U.S. By 2005, almost 9,000 curbside programs had sprouted up across the nation, according to the EPA.

Still not every U.S. adult is seeing green. Some adults over 40 said they do not recycle because it is not available in their area, takes too much effort and costs more to recycle where they live.