How well does the general public understand the current recycling process in the United States? Does Eau Claire County recycle a significant amount of waste? Where does it go? This study hopes to answer these questions and more by surveying Eau Claire County residents on their recycling habits, as well as interviewing employees at the top recycling companies operating in Eau Claire county to determine the level of public disconnect from the material reality of recycling and waste management.Many people assume the recycling system functions well and serves to reintroduce waste back into production of new consumer products and packaging, but in reality only a small amount of material is recovered. The rest takes up space in landfills or becomes incinerated to produce electrical energy. Recycling materials comes with several costs: Time, money, and energy. Often, the costs of recycling outweigh the benefits, and without the profit incentive there are no companies willing to recycle materials. Previously, the United States shipped most of its recyclable waste overseas to China, but following a 2017 Chinese decision to halt waste imports, American companies were forced to find alternate methods for waste disposal and material recovery. This research focuses specifically on waste management and material recovery in Eau Claire County, but it has broader implications for the rest of the United States.
