Garbage Crisis

Can a nation of 'waste makers' deal with the garbage glut?

Introduction

The recession may have bankrupted businesses and idled factories, but it has not stopped Americans from producing record amounts of trash. Americans annually toss out enough to fill a bumper-to-bumper convoy of garbage trucks halfway to the moon. But while Americans are discarding more waste, the nation's disposal options seem to be narrowing. Faced with diminishing landfill space, increasing political opposition to landfills and incinerators and lack of markets for recycled materials, communities are at a crossroads. Many seem incapable or unwilling to plan for the future, even as waste- management costs are skyrocketing. Unless government and business leaders can work together with consumers to alleviate the crisis, experts say garbage will not only pose a hazard to the environment but also to the economy.

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