How the Price of Oil Impacts Recycling Practices

If there is one thing that greases the engine of society, it’s oil. The flow of cheap oil has had perhaps more impact on the creation of what many critics have termed as the “throwaway” society. When the price of oil goes up, so does transportation and just about everything else. The cost of hauling trash to a landfill is no exception.

You might think that a rise in the price of oil would decrease the amount of packaged goods that people are willing to buy. That is only partially true and depends upon the length and “slope” of the increase. If there is only a short spike in the price of fuel, then less expensive purchases tend towards many lesser-priced goods with more packaging, such as fast food instead of a sit down meal at a restaurant.

However, in the case of long-term higher energy costs, reducing, reusing and recycling are seen as far better options. You could expect to see more emphasis on consumer sorting, as investment in recycling infrastructure decreases.