From DISPOSAL to DEVELOPMENT

摘要

While many communities have implemented recycling and composting programs to divert waste from landfills, few have implemented sustainable waste management solutions that recover, reuse or transform waste locally. At the same time, global constraints on exporting recyclable materials are driving more communities to explore domestic solutions and innovative technologies to both manage waste and create new jobs, research and businesses. How can governments and other recycling stakeholders take steps to ensure that material collected in a jurisdiction finds an end market nearby? This is the industry transformation that must take place to truly establish a circular economy. A project in one Upper Midwest county is demonstrating a path forward.