North Carolina Communities Scale Back Recycling Collections

Since China stopped importing certain recyclable materials from the U.S., the recycling market across the country has been overflowing with material and prices have dropped significantly.

In December, Moore County in North Carolina increased its recycling fees from $25 per ton to $100 since it started losing money on recyclables. Other areas in the state, like Pinebluff, have nixed curbside recycling all together.

WRAL reports that with so much material in the market, buyers can afford to be picky. The article also urges residents to help by keeping their recyclables clean from contaminants—meaning no greasy pizza boxes, no plastic bags and no garden hoses.

WRAL has more details:

For many, recycling is second nature. With curbside pickup and recycling centers, communities have made the process easy.

But in the past couple of years, the demand for recyclable materials has been kicked to the curb.

In the Triangle, recyclables are no longer profitable for local governments.

Read the full article here.