Bowling Green residents see effect of China’s decision to eliminate buying U.S. recycleables

BOWLING GREEN Ky.-Recycling involves everyone to pitch in to prevent landfills from filling up. To help, recycling companies like Southern Recycling in Bowling Green do the leg work. But now county officials are wondering how long that will continue.

China has decided to stop purchasing American recyclables, leaving Southern Recycling without profit from the residential recycling program.

“Paper, glass, cardboard and plastic have nowhere to go to be recycled, so there’s no market for those. It makes it very tough to be in that business. It’s something Warren County is tackling because we’re in charge of the recycling program, but we have some very tough decisions to make coming up,” said Warren County First District Magistrate Doug Gorman.

It’s an issue affecting everyone who recycles, especially those who have been recycling for years.

“When I was a kid, it was kind of ingrained to me by my stepmom. She had her different bins. We would wash the stuff and put in there,” said Chad Singer, a recycling proponent.

The county has been working to determine a solution for this dilemma, one that doesn’t involve relying on a landfill for all waste.

“It’s that double-edged sword. If we don’t have recycling, the landfill costs go up,” Gorman said.

There currently isn’t a solution, and county officials are aware that this is not only affecting Bowling Green, but the entire country.

“The business world changes and the world changes. If it’s happening in Bowling Green and Warren County, it’s happening all across America,” Gorman said.