(MDE) promotes the idea of waste diversion by partnering with Maryland's jurisdictions as well as the public and private sectors. All counties and Baltimore City are required to recycle 15% of waste generated (populations under 150,000) or 20% (populations over 150,000) due to The Maryland Recycling Act (MRA); the state government is also required to recycle at least 20% of their solid waste. Pennsylvania The Municipal Waste Planning Recycling and Waste Reduction Act (Act 101) was passed in 1988 which first initiated a statewide recycling program in Pennsylvania. As of 2016, at least 94% of Pennsylvania residents had access to recycling while 79% of the same population have direct access through curb side pick up programs. This act also required that individual counties develop efficient plans to combat the waste which will need disposed of in the next 10+ years. Success of Pennsylvania's recycling programs can be seen in the numbers. Over 6.12 million tons of waste were recycled into resources in 2013. This amount of recycling constitutes to 7.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions that were diverted from entering the air. The amount of carbon dioxide that this single state reduced in one year is equivalent to taking 1.58 million vehicles off of the road for one full year. Europe European waste legislation focuses upon the diversion of biodegradable waste from landfill, due to its potential to add to the effects of climate change. Waste diversion rate Calculating waste diversion rates is an important tool for households and especially businesses to use. It is a KPI in indicating a successful recycling program. By tracking progress weekly, changes can be made to improve week to week. A simple formula is used to calculate the waste diversion rate, as follows: (Weight of Recycling / (Weight of Recycling + Weight of Garbage)) X 100 Waste should be labeled with the name of the area in which they were received. For businesses, this will be helpful in implementing programs; what may work for one part of the company may not work for another. The goal is to calculate a number as close to one hundred as possible. This would imply that one hundred percent of your waste is recycled. If a lower number is calculated, changes are required to improve the score. When a need to change the recycling plan is recognized, you must effectively communicate the plan to all members involved