Listen to the program from 1A.
From its first spread in the 1970’s to today, municipal recycling has been a huge success in the United States. This is a recycling nation, and many Americans try to act on their concern for the environment.
Two-thirds of Americans have recycling bins in their homes. According to the EPA, just over a third of Americans’ trash is recycled.
But what happens once you put your recyclables in the bin? Some of it used to go to China, but is now just piling up. And when waste is recycled, it takes time, money and energy.
When a reduction in consumption could have greater effect, is it worth it to bother with the blue bin?
Guests
- Reid Lifset Research scholar and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University School of Forestry & Environmental Studies; @YaleFES
- Monica Wilson Policy and research coordinator, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA); @monicazerowaste
- David Biderman CEO, Solid Waste Association of North America; @biderman
