Recycling’s Dirty Secrets: What You Need to Know
Recycling in the United States: A National Overview
Each year, the United States produces around 300 million tons of waste. In an effort to mitigate the amount of trash sent to landfills, recycling has become an integral part of waste management, with approximately 30% of waste sent to recycling facilities each year. While this may at first see like an impressive amount, just 25% of collected recycling is actually processed domestically. The large remainder (60%) sent to landfills, with the rest exported internationally (15%), thus, less than 10% of total waste is actually recycled.
Current Issues with Recycling
Contamination: One of the biggest challenges is contamination, which occurs when non-recyclable items, food waste, or hazardous materials get mixed in with recyclables. Contaminated loads are sent to landfills instead of being recycled.
Inconsistent Policies: Recycling regulations and programs vary widely from state to state and even municipality to municipality. This inconsistency can lead to confusion among residents and inefficiencies in collection and processing.
Low Recycling Rates for Plastics: Plastics are particularly challenging to recycle, with less than 10% of plastic waste being recycled. The diversity of plastic types and the low value of recycled plastics contribute to this issue.
Lack of Infrastructure: Many areas, especially rural regions, lack advanced recycling infrastructure, which limits the ability to process recyclables efficiently.
Recycling in Maui County: Challenges and Opportunities
Due to a lack of facilities and remote location, Maui County faces additional challenges when it comes to recycling. The county generates a substantial amount of waste each year, around 200,000 tons, with around 20% of this waste collected for recycling and taken to the Material Recovery Facility in Kahului. It is as this point in the process that problems begin - of the materials that are collected for recycling in Maui, a large portion - around 90% - is still sent to the landfill. The remaining 10% is shipped off-island; cardboard, glass, aluminum, and plastics are sent to various markets, primarily in Asia, with only a negligible amount of green waste actually processed on island.
The Need for Local Renewable Processing Facilities
Shipping recyclables off-island has several negative consequences:
Additional Waste: The transportation of materials over long distances contributes to additional waste.
Cost: Shipping materials adds to the overall cost of recycling, making it less economically viable.
Modern facilities can utilize advanced waste-to-energy technologies to convert recyclable materials into renewable energy, thus addressing both waste management and energy production in one solution. Moreover, modern facility designs are able to efficiently process a wider variety of materials.
Unfortunately, these types of facilities are not yet commonplace. By investing in such facilities, we can create a more efficient, eco-friendly recycling system that truly benefits both the environment and the local community.
