Have America's recycling efforts been too successful?

2015-06-21T12:56:18-04:00

Tucked in the woods 30 miles north of Washington is a plant packed with energy-guzzling machines that can make even an environmentalist’s heart sing — giant conveyor belts, sorters and crushers saving a thousand tons of paper, plastic and other recyclables from reaching landfills each day.

The 24-hour operation is a sign that after three decades of trying, a culture of curbside recycling has become ingrained in cities and counties across the country. Happy Valley, however, it is not.

Once a profitable business for cities and private employers alike, recycling in recent years has become a money-sucking enterprise. The District, Baltimore and many counties in between are contributing millions annually to prop up one of the nation’s busiest facilities here in Elkridge, Md. — but it is still losing money. In fact, almost every facility like it in the country is running in the red. And Waste Management and other recyclers say that more than 2,000 municipalities are paying to dispose of their recyclables instead of the other way around.

In short, the business of American recycling has stalled. And industry leaders warn that the situation is worse than it appears.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/american-recycling-is-stalling-and-the-big-blue-bin-is-one-reason-why/2015/06/20/914735e4-1610-11e5-9ddc-e [login to see] c_story.html?hpid=z4

American recycling is stalling, and the big blue bin is one reason why

Falling commodity prices have left U.S. cities with big bills to dispose of once-profitable products.

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Jun 21 at 2015 1:12 PM

2015-06-21T13:12:38-04:00

Great Pacific garbage patch
http://perkyprose.typepad.com/perky-prose/2011/02/the-north-pacific-gyres-plastics.html

The North Pacific Gyre's Plastics

Many folks have heard that there's a great trash heap in the Pacific Ocean. If you try to find a picture that proves the existence of the great trash heap, you can't find one. Why? Welp, this giant accumulation of trash is made up of a great deal of plastic...

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 21 at 2015 1:20 PM

2015-06-21T13:20:59-04:00

Capitalism love it or leave it.....it drives our nation

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Jun 21 at 2015 1:32 PM

2015-06-21T13:32:04-04:00

This doesn't surprise me.

It's like bracketing in artillery. Sometimes we just overcompensate and have to dial it back in until we get it right.

As an example:

Red Light Cameras for those running stop lights. Municipalities put them up as a safety measure, but generate revenue off them. At a certain point they accomplish their safety goal, which in turn drops their revenue to below what it costs to maintain them. This in turn creates a point where you are paying more to maintain a system that is neither providing a Functional nor Financial benefit.

It sounds like the Recycling has hit the same level.