What has the last year done?

摘要

What a change a few months can make. As the two quotes above show, and many of us in recycling can attest to first-hand, the recent economic downturn has had serious repercussions on the recycling industry. Media outlets have been reporting on the dire economic impacts of the economy on recycling programs and a look at the commodity prices for aluminum, cardboard, copper and plastics portends a serious revenue shortfall in 2009. But what has been the real effect of the downturn on recycling programs across the nation? The authors collected survey information from municipal program managers, coordinators and directors throughout the U.S. to find out what is actually happening.