More of America's recycling is ending up in local landfills. And it's China's fault.
Decades after activists and environmentalists first began beseeching Americans to separate their bottles and cans – ultimately conditioning even the most recalcitrant consumer to believe that filling a blue bin could benefit the earth and ease their conscience – it turns out that an increasing amount of that waste is being thrown away.
Two states recently told residents that – at least for now – a healthy share of their recycling is going to end up in the dump. And after long emphasizing its benefits, the waste management industry is looking at ways to let the American public know that maybe they would be better off not recycling certain things.
