Taking away your trash and recycling is mostly a for-profit endeavor in the United States. There are markets for the stuff we recycle and others for the gases created when our trash breaks down. We’ll discuss how these systems work. We’ll also discuss the critical disruptions happening right now, including China’s decision to stop taking our recycling.

For communities with big fights over how trash is collected, we’ll discuss other factors at play that you might not think about when you throw stuff away. And what policies should our cities and state be debating to ensure, for example, that we’re not adding to the plastics in the ocean?

On Tuesday, August 20th, Tom Weber was joined by Eric Roper of the Star Tribune, Julie Ketchum of Waste Management, and Kate Davenport of Eureka Recycling to talk The Business Behind Your Trash.

Listen below.

Join us for Policy On Tap!

Join us for an upcoming Policy On Tap! This season, we’re Talking Trash. Events coming up in September and December. Click below to learn more!