Massachusetts communities feel strain of recyclables market

The Eagle Tribune, North Andover, Massachusetts, reports that local community recycling programs are experiencing losses as decreased demand in recyclables reduces prices.

According to the article, officials in Marblehead, Massachusetts, used to receive around $250 per ton for scrap metal, but the price has now been reduced to roughly one-quarter of that amount, while recycled paper has been reduced to $5 per ton. 

“When it costs more money to recycle something than to throw it away, that creates a big challenge for local governments,” Michael Durfor, executive director of Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA), Epsom, New Hampshire, told the newspaper. “The question is how long can many cities and towns afford to support that?” 

Joe Pickard, chief economist/director of commodities for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), Washington, told the newspaper the diminished returns may be attributed to global factors, such as China’s slowing economy, falling oil prices and countrywide closures of recycling facilities. 

Despite these setbacks, Marblehead is still saving more than $186,000 yearly by diverting materials from landfills, the article says.

“The idea is that we’re not making money, we’re saving it,” Health Director Andrew Petty told the Tribune. “We’re pulling these items out of the waste stream at a significant savings. Recycling is still the best option for us.”