Piece image

Curbside Recycling Part I

Series: Curbside Recycling
From: Ross Chambless
Length: 00:05:39

Is it all really recycled? Read the full description.

Bundles__medium__small Producer Ross Chambless tries to understand where his own recyclable trash goes. He tracks it from curbside pickup, to a materials recovery facility where the waste is both mechanically and hand sorted, to where it is finally bundled for shipment to out-of-state and overseas markets.   Along the way he discovers that glass is not easily recycled in Utah, and plastic bags are causing problems for recyclers. 

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Piece Description

Producer Ross Chambless tries to understand where his own recyclable trash goes. He tracks it from curbside pickup, to a materials recovery facility where the waste is both mechanically and hand sorted, to where it is finally bundled for shipment to out-of-state and overseas markets.   Along the way he discovers that glass is not easily recycled in Utah, and plastic bags are causing problems for recyclers. 

Broadcast History

Aired on July 29, 2009, KUER 90.1 Utah state-wide NPR affiliate.

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - With communities looking for ways to divert trash from the landfill, roughly 40 cities along the Wasatch Front have started curbside recycling. While the system may be convenient and efficient for residents, Ross Chambless reports there's still room for improvement. This is the first in a series of stories on recycling in Utah.

OUTRO: