Your Green Questions Answered: Recycling Myths

(Page 2 of 2)

January/February 2005
By Umbra Fisk 
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And FYI, the processing facility could be anywhere. While aluminum cans, steel (a.k.a. tin) cans, and glass stay stateside for processing and rebirth, recycling is an industry like any other—trying to cut costs. Asian markets for recycled materials are huge, labor is cheaper, and newer plants there have spankin’ efficient equipment and can often offer higher prices per bale than domestic plants, so West Coast plastics and paper products frequently travel the Pacific for their Extreme Makeover.

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The economics of recycling programs vary widely across the United States. Land is stunningly expensive in my county—landfill expenses are high, and landfill “tip fees” reflect this. (Yes, the fee for tipping things into a landfill is apparently called the “tip fee.”) In Nevada, tip fees may not be so high. The design of the recycling system also affects the cost. If a trucker picks up three separate containers at each house, that costs more than picking up a single can of trash. If you haul your own recyclables to the recycling center, that costs Trashville very little.

As you may deduce, it is quite possible that a recycling program costs a city more than its trash program. Does this mean the recycling program doesn’t make sense? No—recycling makes sense.

UMBRA FISK dispenses advice on all things green for Grist Magazine (Grist.org), an online publication that tackles environmental topics with irreverence, intelligence, and a fresh perspective. To submit a question or subscribe to Grist’s free email service, visit Grist.org/signup.

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