Until recently, much of recycled cardboard in the U.S. would head straight to China. But in March, the Chinese government decided to raise standards for importing recycled material, and that’s had an impact right here in Virginia.
Paper mills will buy up recycled material and process it into new products. But when plastic bags or food-contaminated containers get in the mix, it can degrade the quality. And as mills around the world raise their standards, waste managers right here in Virginia are having to scramble to find new buyers.
“And I think they’re taking from businesses like Wal-Mart that are just baling good clean cardboard and are able to send it you know, good and clean, when it’s not mixed with anything else,” explains Kim Hynes, executive director of Central Virginia’s Waste Management Authority.
Hynes says that in order to help keep recycling economically viable, it’s important we clean up our act -- beginning with plastic bags.
“And don’t even bag your recyclables. We don’t want the recyclables bagged,” Hynes says. “Plastic bags are just a no in your recycling bin across the state.”
Beyond that, different localities have different rules. Hynes suggests people find out what’s acceptable in their community and then make a serious effort to recycle right.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
