US Cities Burn Recyclables: Guardian

China stopped accepting 12 forms of imported recyclables for processing and set stringent conditions on contamination as of January 2018. Developed nations do not have adequate domestic markets for handling the waste and did not prepare citizens, packaging firms or cities for the change. So recyclables pile up, with most landfilled and incinerated rather than processed for reuse. “The dilemma with what to do with items earmarked for recycling is playing out across the US," explains Oliver Milman, writing for the Guardian. "The country generates more than 250m tons of waste a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with about a third of this recycled and composted.” Residents living near incineration plants are prone to asthma and other illnesses, and question the onslaught of trash from big cities like New York or Philadelphia. Waste industry experts and environmentalists agree that recycling systems are overwhelmed, as innovations in processing recyclables or pollution controls do not keep pace. Societies must consider packaging changes to reduce waste in the first place. – YaleGlobal