The Economics of Recycling and Waste Handling

From Science Online

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Contents 1 Fundamental Question: Is Recycling economically efficient? 2 Recycling Defined 3 Human Impact 4 Duration of the problem 5 Economic costs and benefits 6 Environmental costs and benefits 7 Laws, Treaties, Protocols 8 Links

Fundamental Question: Is Recycling economically efficient?

Recycling Defined

Recycling is the process of converting waste products into reusable materials. It differs from reuse, which simply means using a product again.(Cunningham, 2001)

The recycling loop can be described by collecting and processing secondary materials, manufacturing recycled-content products, and then purchasing recycled products. This creates a cycle that ensures the overall success and value of recycling. (US Environmental Protection Agency)

Human Impact

Recycling is a human driven process. Due to the human factor, there have been great fluctuations in market prices for commodities. For example, newsprint was worth $160 a ton in 1995 but dropped to $42 a ton by 1999. Therefore, price stability in recycling is not extremely reliable.(Cunningham, 2001)

Duration of the problem

Recycling has been in existence on a small scale for hundreds of years. Not until recently, however, has recycling emerged with large programs to have an effect nationally and globally.

In 1988, The Environmental Protection Agency set a goal fo the United States to recycle 25% of their total waste. SInce then, more than 8,000 curbside recycling programs have been introduced in communities acrooss the nation, which redices the amount of waste that goes into incinerators and landfills.(Bettelheim, 1998)

Economic costs and benefits

The cost of disposing grabage at local dumps comapred to using out-of-state landfills is extremely less. Towns in New Jersey found that using landfills them almost $100 per ton more than if they used local dumps.(Denison, 1997)

In addition, metals that are derived from recycled materials are much less expnsive in terms of energy usage than metals produced from primary ores. Steel from primary production uses 3.5 times more energy than steel from melted scrap. Likewise, copper from primary ore uses 5 times more energy than copper from recycling.(Wernick, 1998)

Environmental costs and benefits

Recycling does not completely eliminate environmental worries. For example, recycled newspapers must be de-inked, often with chemicals, creating a sludge. Even if the sludge is harmless, it too must be disposed of, probably in a landfill. Second, recycling more newspapers will not necessarily preserve trees, because many trees are grown specifically to be made into paper. (The concise encyoclopedia of economics)

Laws, Treaties, Protocols

A number of U.S. states, such as California, Hawaii, Oregon, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Iowa, Michigan and New York have passed laws that establish deposits or refund values on beverage containers in order to promote reuse and recycling. (Cohen, 2007)Most are five cents per can or bottle. Michigan's deposit is 10 cents. Some cities, such as New York City and Seattle, have created laws that enforce fines upon citizens who throw away certain recyclable materials.(Novelis Recycling)

November 15th is offically America Recycles Day in the United States. This day is set aside in order to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and to encourage Americans to sign personal pledges to recycle and buy recycled products.(America Recycles Day)

Links

http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/dumptown.htm

http://www.recycle.alcan.com/Recycle/EN/Kids

References