Are Trade Wars a Wake-Up Call for Recycling Industry?
By Victoria Birk Hill February 13, 2019
An article which appeared in the Telegram.com highlights that the U.S. recycling industry essentially collects glass, paper, metals and electronic scrap (e-scrap), does some sorting but then ships it all overseas to countries with lower labor costs to finish the sorting and convert the materials back into something that can be used in a new product. This is a missed opportunity for the U.S, according to Brajendra Mishra, the Kenneth G. Merriam Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and director of the Center for Resource Recovery & Recycling.
The article details how there are already a few U.S. companies that fully recycle these waste materials into something that can be used in a new product, but only on a small scale. Brajendra believes advances in modern technology will allow U.S. companies to profitably and sustainably scale the recycling of U.S. paper, glass, metals and e-scrap into new materials, thus avoiding the often-expensive vagaries of international trade.
To read more about this timely article click here.
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