ECONOMICS OF RECYCLING
While the materials used in certain products have low, and in some instances no, value at the end of their useful life, metals have high economic value. At the end of 2017, for example, aluminum can scrap from curbside collection in California was worth eight times more than PET, or four times as much on a
per container basis (with glass having no economic value). While metal packaging represents a small share of all household recyclables, it is a significant income for recyclers. In the U.S., for example, aluminum packaging is estimated to be about 1 percent of the recyclable waste stream of households
by weight while representing 17 percent of the value. Metals are subsidizing packaging recycling systems, in particular the collection and recycling of materials with little or no economic value. In many parts of the world, sorting technologies and their deployment did not keep up with the pace of change of the
recycling mix, increased contamination and municipal recycling system modifications, which is one reason why organizations involved in sorting and recycling are facing economic constraints today. Now is the time to discuss what is actually recyclable, and what we as society and governments can afford to recycle.