Examining the Benefits of Dual Stream Paper Recycling in Nevada

An opinion piece posted in the Reno Gazette Journal examines how dual stream paper recycling will bring additional revenue and environmental benefits to Nevada.

Under the current domestic recycling market, thousands of tons of material left curbside for recycling across American cities and towns have gone to landfills, creating serious environmental and financial strain for state and local governments.  

The op-ed points out that in Nevada, mandating a dual stream paper and cardboard recycling process for all state and local institutions could provide a framework to transform costly recycling challenges into a revenue stream for state and local governments.

Reno Gazette Journal has more information:

Recycling is a system aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources. In the early 2000s, recycling evolved with the arrival of a single-stream process. This allowed residents and businesses to discard all recyclables into a single bin or cart, with China providing significant export capacity for U.S. recyclables.

Recently, due to the resulting poor quality of U.S. material, the Chinese government banned “post-consumer” commodities with a 0.5 percent contamination limit and a complete ban on importing recovered material by 2020. Today, thousands of tons of material left curbside for recycling across American cities and towns have gone to landfills. This has created enormous financial strain and environmental problems for state and local governments across the country,

In Nevada, mandating a dual-stream paper and cardboard recycling process for all state and local institutions will provide a framework to transform costly recycling challenges into a recurring revenue stream for local and state governments. Corporate social responsibility trends are challenging institutions and corporations to adopt operational models which enhance resource productivity and drive competitive advantage.

Read the full article here.