Junkluggers hauling its way to a cleaner planet Each year, more than 9 billion pounds of garbage are produced in the United States. Any way you cut it, it’s a whole lot of trash. And growing. About 25 percent of that mountain of detritus is recycled. The remaining three-quarters consist of valuable glass, metal, paper and other materials tossed into landfills. Fortunately, recycling has progressed over the last several decades. In 1980, Americans recycled ...