Take Out the Trash

Source: zerohedge.com

China stopped accepting waste from the US starting January 1 and the waste has been piling up. To get an idea of the enormity of the amount of trash we generate, the average American produces about 4 pounds of trash a day. It is all well and good as long as the garbage truck makes its weekly runs so we personally do have to store the trash in our garages.

With China's new policy the waste facilities are getting to the point of overload. I am only referring to the recycling centers, the non recyclables are not affected by China's new policy. Lest we forget we also have an on going landfill issue which hasn't been adequately resolved.

Prior to China's ban on importing waste, their purchases accounted for more than half of the scrap material. After the ban, there is no other country or counties capable of absorbing this amount of refuse. Primarily because the world had become dependent on China to accept the waste.

Source: zerohedge.com

New rumors are floating that by 2020 China might ban the importing of all recycled material, presently they are still accepting cardboard and metals. Obviously this will exacerbate the massive build up of waste.

Nationwide recycling plants are clamoring their distress of the backup of waste. One waste management company in Maryland says it has a large amount of worthless pile of plastic and paper which they have to contract companies to haul away. Other companies are resorting to sending their worthless scraps directly to landfills. Recall that this was specifically why the recycling movement was started, keeping this material out of the landfills. The problem has become so acute that some towns are ceasing the requirement that homeowners and business need to separate the recyclables.

I am waiting to see how the government officials will spin this one.