I have had several people tell me recently that recycling is going to die. That we are going to revert back to a Trash only lifestyle similar to what we had in the 80’s. For those of you who truly miss throwing everything in one golden dumpster…don’t get your hopes up. Recycling isn’t dead, it is just changing. In fact we are about to see a trend of MORE sorting. Instead of ‘mixed use’ recycling, get emotionally prepared for multiple recycling streams (Compost, paper, plastic and glass). There will be more sorting, not less. The reason behind this is that recycling is still profitable, as long as the contamination is under control. Contamination isn’t just a left over slice of pizza in the cardboard box, it is plastic in with paper. It is glass in your plastic. Additionally although most people savor telling me that there is no money in recycling and it costs more to recycle than just using the trash, these are also untrue. Let’s be honest, would providers offer it if it cost them money? There are two revenue streams: first, if the provider charges for picking up recycling. The providers typically don’t do this at a loss. Second stream of revenue is the material that the hauler can get money for. There is still money to be made in Cardboard (which is our nemesis), glass and aluminum. The margins of profit for plastic are slimmer, but there is still money on the table. Reality: if someone can make money somewhere, recycling isn’t dead yet.