Dive Brief:

• A chemical spill in Charleston, WV prompted a massive increase in the volume of plastic water bottles residents were generating — around 20 million bottles after the incident. 
• Most of the discarded plastic, an estimated 17 million bottles, wound up at the local landfill. No curbside recycling collections exist in this rural area.
• For recycling service providers in rural communities, the small volume of recyclables collected combined with the distance between customers makes it challenging to offer collections and turn a profit. The closest recycling centers are often 25 miles away.

Dive Insight:

Technological advances in the industry can make recycling less costly in rural areas. The addition of automated fleets and optical sorters would bring down costs.