Bad Economy Puts Recycling In The Red!
Unfortunately, due to the economy, people in the United States are not buying as much, which affects recycling in a big way. It used to be that we would accept shipments from China and we would load up the ships returning to China with our recycled materials. Since we stopped buying so much, the demand for raw materials for packaging has plummeted, so if China does not need packaging materials, we are stuck with our waste.
Prices on aluminum, cardboard, paper, plastics and steel make it where it’s not even worth recycling. Recycling plants all over the U.S. are stacked to the brim with bails of recycled materials with no relief visible in the near 
future. California is poised to start a program that will require the packaging of new goods to be of recycled materials ,which if done nation wide, could get recycling back on its feet again.
Recycling centers provide an invaluable service which could be severely impacted if a lot of these centers go out of business. So all we can do is hope the economy picks up soon, so that recycling can again move forward. If not recycling may take years to get back to where it was a year ago.
View these videos to learn more about this issue:>
About the Author: Admin is an environmental author who researches and writes on all environmental awareness issues including sustainable living and renewable energy and participates in the go green movement.
Jim | Jan 7, 2009 | Reply
Yes, a year ago people were going crazy collecting old cars and scrap steel and iron to sell. The price has fallen by about 2/3rds since early last year.
admin | Jan 7, 2009 | Reply
Yeah its crazy, hardly anyone is going to recycle if it costs more in fuel to transport the recyclables than they will get.