RECYCLING HIT BY WORLD ECONOMICS

World recycling has been a money-spinner for business until the global financial crisis and a sharp fall in commodity prices.

In many cities today it's becoming uneconomic to recycle and stockpiles are beginning to grow as recyclers ponder what to do with the enormous amount of waste they could previously be converted into cash.

The irony of recycling goods so that they end up in landfill would disappoint many who believe that recycling not only improves the environment but also is worthwhile for business.

After years of steadily rising prices for recovered plastics, bottles, paper, aluminum and cardboard the bottom's fallen out of the market with drops of 30, 40, 50, and even 80 per cent.

The demand from China has shrunk to the point where the cost of exporting to that country is now exceeding the value of some of the materials.

And cardboard stockpile are reaching dangerous levels, as they could become a fire hazard.