ed materials into new products compared to beginning the process again with new, "virgin" raw materials. By recycling a ton of materials in a typical curbside recycling program, at least $187 worth of electricity, petroleum, natural gas and coal are conserved, even after accounting for the energy used to collect and transport the materials. In other words, the energy conserved through recycling is about five times as valuable as the average cost of disposing of trash in landfills in the U.S. The net reduction in energy use due to recycling is thus estimated at 16.8 million b.t.u.'s. Recycling programs that are sensibly designed and fully implemented can be cost-competitive with solid waste landfilling and incineration. Many of the curbside recycling collection programs that have been quickly implemented in the last six years are more expensive than they need to be. Numerous techniques are now available to make curbside recycling more efficient, and are now being tested and implemented in communities across the country. Recycling avoids the costs of disposing of waste in landfills or solid waste incinerators. The costs of recycling are partially offset by avoided disposal fees and by revenues earned through the sales of materials. Disposal fees vary greatly between different regions, and markets for recyclable materials are now booming. Of the roughly 40% of the U.S. population served by curbside recycling programs in 1993, almost two-thirds live in the Northeast, where disposal costs are high, or on the West Coast, which has moderate disposal costs and especially high prices for recyclable materials. Curbside recycling in these areas is a rational response to economic costs and opportunities. Richard Bishop Consultants conducted a detailed study of 12 curbside recycling programs and three intermediate processing facilities in New Jersey chosen to be representative of the state's mix of programs. The firm found costs in 1990 to be $12...
