You might think that this economic downturn (officially a recession, I suppose, at this point) recycling would go up, what with the reusing of things, but apparently the exact opposite is happening.  The New York Times reports that the recyclables market has completely tanked, leaving people unable to sell used cardboard, metals, newspaper, or plastic.

Ordinarily the material would be turned into products like car parts, book covers and boxes for electronics. But with the slump in the scrap market, a trickle is starting to head for landfills instead of a second life.

In the past, cities have been able to sell the recycling they picked up at a profit, thus actually turning recycling programs into revenue.  But now, that’s completely changed.

In New York City, for instance, the city is getting paid $10 for a ton of paper, down from $50 or more before October, but it has no plans to cease recycling, said Robert Lange, the city’s recycling director. In Boston, one of the hardest-hit markets, prices are down to $5 a ton, and the city expects it will soon have to pay to unload its paper. But city officials said that would still be better than paying $80 a ton to put it in a landfill.

Of course, we know that recycling is good not just for profit, and anything that isn’t recycled is going to the landfills, as noted above.  So, takepart and keep current with who’s recycling what and where, and keep it up.  It may not make us any money, but it will keep us cleaner.