Green Cotton

Thanks to the rise of eco-conscious businesses and celebrity plugs, the notion of “Going Green” has become part of everyday American life. Recycling, bringing your own bag, staying away from water bottles… small (but important) changes seem to be taking hold as more people take steps toward a greener, more sustainable earth. However as the New York Times reported last Sunday, this green movement (including recycling) appears to be facing a tough uphill battle in our current economic crisis. In fact, the author writes, “the economic downturn has decimated the market for recycled materials like cardboard, plastic, newspaper and metals.”

Unfortunately, the reality is that the valuable practice of recycling has become less (or not at all) cost effective for many towns and businesses. As noted by the heap of recyclables accumulating at landfills, one might quickly become disparaged and start throwing plastics and cardboard back into the trash. But rather than doing so, and simultaneously throwing our small but growing social and environmental responsibility to the wind, isn’t this a time more than ever that we need most to stand our ground?”

On Sunday, The New York Times called attention to what could be a recycling crisis, proclaiming, “Trash has crashed.” This is reminiscent of a 1996 article in New York Times Magazine, where John Tierney declared, “recycling is garbage,” and that it “may be the most wasteful activity in America.”
Naturally, environmental groups were quick to defend the benefits of recycling versus the economic cost.

The Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Fund issued reports detailing how municipal recycling programs actually cost less than curbside garbage pick-up and disposal.
But tell this to recyclers today, who are looking at a dismal picture. The scrap market has slumped, and junk is piling up. Perfectly recyclable materials like paper, cardboard, plastic and metals are heading straight for the landfills. According the Times, “The scrap market in general is closely tied to the economic conditions because demand for some recyclables tracks closely with markets for new products.”

The U.S. economy is not solely to blame for the scraps’ decrease in value. China is the number one export market for U.S. recyclables, but as the global economy has slowed, so has China’s demand. Now our scraps are worth much less in parts of the country where shipping to China is too difficult and expensive. Unfortunately, this also sheds light on the motive behind the green movement— could recycling be more about profit than actual activism? If recycling becomes too much of a hassle, expect many businesses to cease “save the planet” preaching.

Thankfully, the big picture isn’t all that bleak. Most cities are keeping their recycling programs in place, whether by law or for economics. As the Environmental Defense and others have pointed out, recycling still wins out over the cost of landfills. While cities may balk at reaping less – and even paying – to unload their recyclables, they will still save money in the end. Boston, the Times reports, is one of the hardest-hit markets, receiving only $5 a ton for recycling paper. But that’s much more favorable than paying $80 a ton to send that paper to a landfill.

Small towns are also feeling the economic blow, and many refuse to accept less lucrative recyclable plastics and metals (my town, for instance, accepts only #1 and #2 plastic). What can you do if your town faces a similar pinch? Nothing. The less we do, and, therefore, the less we use, the more likely we are to see recycling and our economy bounce back. For now, keep recycling all you can—but it’s even more important to remember the “reduce” and “reuse” parts of the mantra.

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Article Sources:
New York Times article:

About.com on the environment.

Article By Erin Dale