Municipal Solid Waste Knowledge Platform

Recycling is not just an environmentally conscious waste disposal mechanism, but rather, a multi-billion dollar business worldwide. In developing country contexts, recycling boosts cost recovery in cash-strapped municipal operations, diverts waste from landfill, and supports a vast economy of informal workers. However, the success of recycling depends critically on the secondary markets that purchase these recycled materials. Recycled products, such as plastic, are precious commodities when the cost of raw materials – in this case, petroleum – is high. But, when raw material prices fall, it becomes cheaper to produce from virgin materials than recycled materials. The fall of oil prices 50% over the last year has challenged the recycling industry with difficult decisions.

This webinar will explore the state of the secondary recycling markets around the world. Representatives across the value chain, from governments to recyclers, will discuss the impact that fluctuating prices for recyclables have had on their operations. From oil prices to shifting currencies, speakers and panelists will present the trends and challenges in global markets, resulting financial outcomes, and strategies for resiliency that may inspire operational models around the world.