Dive Brief:
- China's "Green Fence" may cost municipalities in Northern New Jersey a loss of around $300,000 to $500,000 from lost recycling revenues.
- Since the new regulations were implemented in China, recycling companies in the U.S. are more strict in their inspections, due to the higher rate of rejected shipments, which has decreased revenue drastically.
- Single-stream recycling has created a larger volume of non-recyclables to be disposed of in the recycling bin, which costs companies more to sort and then dispose of the trash properly, effectively reducing profits.
Dive Insight:
Chris Riviello, the managing partner of recycling company Atlantic Coast Fibers, stated in a letter to the municipalities, "This is a serious situation that can have major repercussions for the future recycling industry in the U.S."
Marie Kruzan, executive director of the Association of New Jersey Recyclers stated that "Single-stream created a problem and China's green fence makes it more difficult. The green fence is definitely affecting the marketplace. And it's not going away. The recycling world is changing."
