[Dr. Dumas supervised EVS grad student Elizabeth Beyer during the production of the attached report.]
Abstract: The recycling industry is both environmentally and economically beneficial. In 2007, the industry was responsible for 757,000 stable jobs and $36 billion in wages. Curbside recycling programs were in a relatively steady state between 2010 and 2017; municipalities were primarily focused on increased their local recycling rate. However, everything changed in 2017 when China introduced its National Sword policy. China had been receiving more than half of the world’s recycling exports. China National Sword drastically changed global recycling markets. There is now a decrease in demand for and an increase in supply of recycled material, which has caused prices to plummet for many recycled commodities. Cities, haulers, and processers rely on the sale of recycled commodities to run curbside recycling programs. Municipalities across the country have been forced to reevaluate their policies and operations to continue servicing their constituents. This report analyzes the history and trends for curbside recycling programs in the United States, examines the economics of how recycling is paid for, investigates the current challenges facing the recycling industry, explores current and emerging domestic end markets for recycled material, and makes recommendations for the City of Wilmington’s Curbside Recycling Program.
