Economics of Recycling

By Christine Parrish on Monday, June 29, 2009.

Over the past twenty years, recycling has become a multi-billion dollar industry. Now we can buy everything from tote bags to belt buckles made from the bottles and cans we put by the curb. But the economic downturn has put a dent in the industry. Items that once fetched hundreds of dollars per ton are selling for much less, leaving many recycling plants in the lurch. Living on Earth’s Christine Parrish visited one of these struggling recycling plants and brings us this story from Salem, Massachusetts.

Living On Earth: Down in the Dumps

(Photo by [F]oxymoron via Flickr/Creative Commons)

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