How China’s ban on ‘foreign trash’ will impact U.S. recycling

Guests: Livia Albeck-Ripka, Frank Chimera

Are you a conscientious recycler, someone who scrubs their aluminum cans and glass containers before tossing them in the bin? Do you know the plastic recycling number codes by heart? Well, now a new rule by China might make some of these efforts moot. China, which took a lot of our recyclables in the past, is no longer accepting “foreign garbage.” This is having big ramifications for the industry and could mean that our recyclables end up in landfills. Today we’ll talk about what the China ban means for recycling, waste management and the environment. We’ll also cover the dos and don’ts of recycling to ensure they don’t get diverted to the trash – no greasy pizza boxes, please.  Our guests are LIVIA ALBECK-RIPKA, freelance climate and environment reporter, and FRANK CHIMERA, senior manager of municipal sales for Republic Services.