https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Public Works & Utilities


Article

Recession takes its toll on the recycling market

Recession takes its toll on the recycling market

To compensate for the declining prices, some communities are using initiatives to increase recycling participation.
  • Written by Jeff Parrott
  • 1st February 2009

For years, Madison, Wis.'s recycling program generated about $1.5 million annually from the sale of recyclable plastic, glass and paper to processors, who sold them to manufacturers around the world. But, in November, the bottom fell out of the recyclable commodities market.

The global recession prompted paper mills, especially those in China and India, to halt production, which caused the price of corrugated paper to fall by 50 percent from August until late November, the price of aluminum cans to be halved, and the price of plastic soda bottles to drop from 20 cents a pound to 5 cents a pound.

Madison's monthly recyclable materials revenue fell from $171,000 in September to $35,000 in November. Now, the city is forecasting recycling revenue to drop at least by half in 2009, and is considering charging residents a solid waste fee to lessen the damage to the city's already cash-strapped budget, says George Dreckmann, Madison's recycling coordinator.

To compensate for the declining prices, some communities are using initiatives to increase recycling participation. To make it easier for residents to recycle, some are switching to a “single-stream” residential curbside system using one bin to collect paper, plastics, metals and glass.

Others, like the Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill, N.J., are even paying residents with retail vouchers to recycle through a program from New York-based Recycle Bank. Since June, Cherry Hill's recyclables collection has increased 80 percent, from about 125 tons per week to 220 tons per week, says township spokesperson Dan Keashen. “It's been absolutely outstanding,” he says.

Jeff Parrott is a Granger, Ind.-based freelance writer.

AS PAPER PILES UP

  • Minimize collection and processing costs
  • Consider short-term collection contracts

  • Wait. The recycling market may recover

Tags: Administration Economy Public Works & Utilities Article

Most Recent


  • materials
    Public buyers have several options to keep problem materials out of the waste stream
    Cities and counties are taking multiple steps towards sustainability, says Curran Hughes, co-founder and president of Renegade Plastics, a fabric product manufacturer that offers an alternative to PVC (polyvinyl chloride)-coated fabrics. Its low carbon coated fabrics curtail plastic waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the company. “Local governments are doing a nice job […]
  • environmental
    Seasons change: Addressing environmental issues takes many forms
    With extreme temperatures, increasing natural disasters and seasonal changes that are no longer predictable, environmental concerns are growing across the world. As a result, government and educational institutions, through their political bodies and leadership, are now mandating and prioritizing sustainability for their communities. The measures being taken, and goals being met, take many forms to […]
  • federal grants
    Best laid plans: Here are a few steps cities and counties should take when a federal grant comes their way
    Part 1 of this report on managing federal grants and funds appeared in the June 2023 issue of Government Procurement. In recent years, Congress has approved legislation giving local governments access to new sources of federal grants and funds. The laws include: American Rescue Plan Act (APRA), Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), […]
  • sustainability
    5 ways procurement can lead on government sustainability
    A seat at the table.” “No longer a back-office function.” “Purchasing is tactical, procurement is strategic.” You can’t spend a day diving into the world of public sector procurement without running headlong into this sentiment. Conference keynotes, webinars, certification curricula and more have been dedicated to advancing the premise that procurement is at its best […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • NLC releases State of Cities 2021 report
  • How local governments can get ahead of the infrastructure wave: Strategies to mitigate risk
  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery
  • Ultrafast electric vehicle charging will propel local governments into the future

White papers


7 Resources to Level-up Your Federal Grants Administration and Compliance

5th September 2023

Elevator Phone Line Replacement Strategy | A Guide to Reliable, Code-Compliant Solutions

29th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing Report: The Bright Future of Public Procurement

23rd August 2023
view all

Webinars


Grant Preparedness: Unlocking Funding Opportunities for Your Success

10th August 2023

2023 State of Public Sourcing: Taking Local Governments into a Bright Future

1st August 2023

Stop Playing with Fire: How to Manage Infrastructure Asset Risk So You Know You’re Covered

20th June 2023
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Hottest temperatures recorded in American cities during July

12th September 2023

The top 10 Asthma Capitals for 2023

7th September 2023

U.S. cities with the cleanest air from latest “State of the Air” report

5th September 2023
view all

Twitter


Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.