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Recycling on it's way out?

OrphanSlug said:
It is a bit anecdotal but locally glass recycling was eliminated from the bunch about two years ago, and just this past year the line item cost for recycling has gone up anyway.

I cannot read all of the OP article as it is subscription based, but what I can tell is the industry has found even lesser expensive ways to dispose of waste and the costs associated with recycling have not kept pace.

From what I can tell from markets resources (CNBC, MarketWatch, etc.) it appears recycling has hit two road blocks. One, recycled material as a source for products has fallen in value meaning that waste management companies are getting less for that output. Two, international competition in this space has amplified the issue making it where the "cost" difference is shifted more and more to the consumer (homes and businesses paying for recycling services.) Third, (similar to Two) we have an issue with China. They still buy sorted recycled output for various production efforts and that is being watched currently with all this tariff trade war nonsense. As of recent and even though not directly caught up in a direct tariff China is buying less of this output.

If trends continue it will become an issue where there is no market value to recycling and that means the costs of doing so for environmental reasons ends up all on the consumer just to keep it.

It does not look good for recycling, outside of the political argument to keep it even if it means we all pay more to recycle.
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I predict it'll be the gov't that'll pay more for recycling.

How is Trump gonna get the best deal on recycling?
 
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The way to make recycling work, is to make the effort of recycling worth more than not doing it.
Maybe something like incorporating old tires as filler for new roadways,
but there has to be a value add, that will motivate people.
 
holbritter said:
One of the things that might help is charging for plastic bags. They do that now in Suffolk County on Long Island, and it's starting to spread to the rest of NYS. They charge .05 cents per bag. A lot of people are bringing their own. I was just visiting this weekend, and forgot about it when I went to the pharmacy. Good thing I had a big pocketbook!
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That is just it, we are talking about charging the consumer to change behavior (in this case penalty for using plastic bags at a store.) But also we are talking about the inverse of that charging consumers just to recycle as part of their garbage services assuming they will continue.

Our expectations are off here, and it makes even more sense why recycling is facing so much economic headwind.
 
OrphanSlug said:
That is just it, we are talking about charging the consumer to change behavior (in this case penalty for using plastic bags at a store.) But also we are talking about the inverse of that charging consumers just to recycle as part of their garbage services assuming they will continue.

Our expectations are off here, and it makes even more sense why recycling is facing so much economic headwind.
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The local news here said that curbside recycling might double since China is paying half what it used to.
 
I stopped recycling three years ago.
 
Our recycle bin accepts paper and plastic of all kinds, glass, & cans. I have my doubts that any of it is actually recycled. I’d bet money it all winds up in the land fill. In other words it’s 100% feelgoodism.
 
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