Recycling gets trashed, stimulus has cash

The recession is hitting recycling hard.

Markets for metals and other recyclable goods are in the toilet. Some haulers are even stockpiling stuff in hopes of better days ahead.

The downturn has put the future of National Recycling Coalition in jeopardy, according to a letter sent recently to members. Among the ideas being floated are consolidating the group with another similar organization.

In what is becoming a familiar refrain, the federal stimulus bill holds some promise. The bill includes a provision from the NRC and its members that authorizes $3.2 billion for the Energy Efficiency Block Grant program, for communities to use for energy-related actions including projects related to source reduction and recycling, the coalition says.

Or more specifically, “Material Conservation Programs including source reduction, recycling, and recycled content procurement programs that lead to increases in energy efficiency,” according to the Department of Energy.

Recycling may be an overlooked sector of Clean Tech, with all the focus on wind and solar.

Not only does recycling keep waste out of landfills, it creates jobs, from hauling and processing to making and selling products with recycled content.

Recycling is estimated to create almost five times as many jobs as burying stuff, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says.

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