Have we hit "peak recycling?" Many recycling centers around the country have a backlog of paper, plastic, aluminum and other goods, with fewer takers for re-used material. The New Orleans area isn't excluded.
"Recycling programs throughout the country are running into trouble," said Katherine Costanza, Assistant Director of Environmental Affairs in Jefferson Parish. She says a lot of American recycling was being shipped to China, but not anymore.
"The Chinese have banned the import of some materials altogether," said Costanza. "and they've severely limited the amount of contamination or impurities allowable."
That brings Costanza to her next point -- the need to remind residents what can be recycled, and how -- like making sure plastics that once held dairy or fruit juice are thoroughly rinsed before being recycled, and not putting non-recyclable in the recycling bin.
"Everybody has good intentions but we do end up with things sometimes like garden hoses, tennis shoes, bowling balls," Costanza said, and then that means stuff will end up where they didn't want it going in the first place.
"Unfortunately," she said, "often times, if they can't get rid of it, some of this stuff takes the long route to the landfill."