Arizona Star: Interactive Trash Report

I've always wondered what happened to recyclables.  I knew that garbage went into landfills without much processing, but I did not have the slightest clue as to what happens to the newspaper and cans after they're put to the curb.

I found that the process seemed to me very inefficient.  Recyclable material is first sorted four times by both machine and hand, all before it undergoes the exact same process again.  I always wondered why there were so few products made with recyclable material, but after watching this, I see now how it might be easier to convert a few gallons of oil into new plastic.

Either way, I felt that I wouldn't have had the same impression had I been passively watching a news report on a television.  I was actively involved, and I was able to learn more by reading the facts and information presented along with watching and listening to the interviews with the workers.

Original Assignment