Recycling is economically possible because there is a market for recyclable goods. However, a good deal of that market demand comes from Asia, and with the recent global economic downturn, recycling markets have become incredibly volatile and unpredictable, causing instability in our domestic recycling efforts. Recyclers are stockpiling recyclable materials in hopes of an upturn in the market, but if that doesn’t occur, how long before our recyclables end up in landfills?
Even if you are an eco-Grinch who maliciously throws your cans and bottles in your garbage just to be a pill, the fact is that our landfills simply cannot hold the recyclables that will go into them if the market for these commodities evaporates. And that’s every taxpayers problem.
The more we throw away, the more space we take up in landfills. When a landfill becomes a “landfull”, taxpayers have to build a new one. The less we throw away, the longer our landfills will last. The amount of taxpayer money we save by extending the longevity of our landfills is an important community benefit.
In addition, because there are people who purchase recyclables, that also means that somebody gets paid to collect those recyclables. In many cases, that ‘somebody’ is your local waste hauler, and the money collected on recyclables can be used to offset your garbage rate. Catchin’ my drift? Recycling can be very beneficial to communities and individual taxpayers…but ONLY if there is somebody buying the material. And right now, we can’t be sure Asian markets will hold.
On my radio show tomorrow, I’ll be talking with three Californians involved in this crisis to get their perspective on what is happening, and what the ramifications to residents may be. We’ll talk about the economic and public policy angles to the issue, and what we may expect to come from an emergency workshop on December 10th in Sacramento, led by the California Integrated Waste Management Board. I’ll be interviewing Steve Moore, President of Pacific Rim Recycling; Paul Morsen, Executive Director of the Central Costa County Solid Authority; and Mark Leary, Executive Director of the California Integrated Waste Management Board.
Listen in to find out what professionals in the recycling industry are doing to maintain our commitment to recycling, and protect taxpayers from the need to pay for more landfill space. Tune in at 9 a.m. Pacific, noon Eastern on your #1 Internet Talk Radio Station, www.VoiceAmerica.com. (If you are busy during that timeframe, don’t sweat it. The podcast will be up within a couple of hours of the show’s air time at this link: http://www.modavox.com/voiceamericacms/WebModules/HostModaview.aspx?HostId=519&ChannelId=1&Flag=1)
You can also catch me if you’re on Twitter at jillbuck, and you’ll get more updates!
December 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
“The amount of taxpayer money we save by extending the longevity of our landfills is an important community benefit.”
Privatize it and charge people to throw away trash, get government out of the business. If people had to pay the true cost of waste disposal instead of the subsidized cost of a government run program we people would be much more inclined to reduce waste all on their own without the help of state run agencies. I know I’m just talking like one of crazy conservatives who believe there is a free market solution to everything! The California Integrated Waste Management Board is just another one of those bloated public agencies that we need figure out a way to get rid of not encourage.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
To a large extent, Sean, it is privatized. Waste hauling companies and recycling companies are all private, and they compete for the rights to pick up your trash. Your trash rates are determined by a competitive process each time your waste hauler’s contract comes up for renewal, and competitors get to bid for the business. So truly, waste hauling and recycling are not government run programs at all, and are truly market driven, which is exactly what prompted my blog…the market is unstable right now.
Here’s the super cool thing…if you listen to my show tomorrow, you’ll get to hear what the CIWMB actually does, and then let’s talk about it further. I’m interested in your views once you have the information.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
The problem with recycling is that the bulk of the plastic material collected is simply chewed up & buried in a hole because it is not suitable for reuse at this time.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Brian, that would be a great comment/question for my guests on tomorrow’s show! According to what I’ve seen around CA landfills, the process you describe is not happening, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening elsewhere, and hey, inquiring minds want to know, right?! I know that the Chinese aren’t thrilled with some of the U.S. waste that ends up in their soil and water; it came up when I was in Beijing on Earth Day this year at the 1st Annual Green Business awards ceremony put on by the China Entrepreneur’s Club. I’ll bet that one or more of my guests tomorrow can give us the straight scoop. Hope you’ll call in! Thanks for the input.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
So a $200 million+ state run bureaucracy is a private enterprise in you eyes? I guess we need all those government employees to help the private companies do their jobs. And what could possibly be wrong with an agency that has Sheila Kuehl on its governing board?
December 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Sean, your original point was that waste hauling and recycling should be privatized and not run by the government. I explained that is already the case. The fact that CIWMB has a budget and a board member you don’t like is a seperate issue, and doesn’t mean that your waste hauling is run by the government. Okay? Those are two completely different things.
Here’s the question for you, are you willing to become informed about what CIWMB does with their budget (and it’s not run your waste hauling business), and THEN comment on what you think about their mission, budget and board?
December 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Taken directly from their website:
“The California Integrated Waste Management Board is the State agency designated to oversee, manage, and track California’s 92 million tons of waste generated each year.”
December 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
And you understand that doesn’t mean your garbage hauling and recycling is run by them, right? It’s done by private companies.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
At the direction of government granted monopolies.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Dude, just listen to my show,it’s on live now. Learn the facts. You’ll be glad you did http://www.voiceamerica.com
December 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Let me add to my post above that I’m hopeful but do expect recycling, like alternative energy, has an interest that is soluable in funding–without government funding OR, legally compelling reasons, recycling is just not a priority of the general public. A great idea and beneficial but not financially paying for itself right now.
What’s great is that our infrastructure for recycling is now far more efficient than it was decades ago and I hope it can continue.
I can remember in the 1970s when there were places with volumes of litter and aluminum was the main offender. When recycling became mainstream, the price for aluminum became depressed–taking away the immediate financial benefit for doing so by the general public. This is the reason we started curbside recycling–which just doesn’t pay for itself everywhere.
Now, with the bottled water trend, I’m seeing literally homeless guys in San Diego just picking up the bottles from trash containers and litter because multiuse recycling isn’t available. I’m sure it’s paying for a few Jack tacos, but again, there isn’t the public interest in it and not enough blue collection containers everywhere.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Brian, you’ve made some very thoughtful comments, and I appreciate it them very much. I live in the Bay Area where a lot of folks are really into recycling, but inasmuch as we can’t get caught inside a political echo chamber without losing perspective on reality, people in my line of work also need to actively seek information on how other people view environmental protection.
Without scientific polling required, what do you think would persuade people you know to get more active in recycling and other forms of resource conservation? Just give me your gut reaction and instinct on this. I’m truly interested, b/c I think that conserving natural resources for our children to use in the future is really important, and if we can all find common ground and understanding around these issues, that will be a very good thing.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:00 am
What would assist in getting Californians involved in recycling is simple–make them clean up the mess. If everyone ran to the beach, park, any area just once and was compelled to clean it up…however, we all know how mandating behavior can backfire.
What mechanically would assist California in getting more recycling done–having a blue recepticle next to every garbage can.
I was in Minneapolis for a wedding this past week & saw a ‘Stop treating me like garbage’ container at a gas station. It was great because it had a little cartoonish character on it & the whole thing was just so adorable I saw kids asking their parents for a can or bottle so they could put one in it!
It’s amazing the response considering it was 0 degrees, blowing & drifting snow yet recycling was actually cool.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Oh my gosh, Brian, what a small world! I know who manufactures those containers…they have been a partner of the Go Green Initiative’s for years! I can’t wait to show them your email, and encourage them to double their efforts to get those containers sold! I love it!
Going green can, and should be, fun and something we do with child-like joy. It’s our planet, and it’s gorgeous! Let’s keep it clean.
Thanks, Brian!!! (: