Why do economic costs affect how much a community recycles?

Economic factors are the primary drivers of a community's decision regarding recycling. When societies experience affluence or have easy access to inexpensive raw materials, there is a natural tendency to discard used items rather than recover them.1

Recycling becomes an economically viable and attractive strategy when the financial burden of reprocessing waste is lower than the combined costs of two alternatives:
* The expense of treating and disposing of waste in landfills, which are becoming increasingly costly to maintain.1
* The cost associated with extracting and processing virgin raw materials, such as petroleum, mineral ores, or trees.1

Ultimately, communities are more likely to invest in recycling infrastructure—such as curbside collection or drop-off centers—when the market value of recovered materials or the savings from avoided disposal fees make the process more cost-effective than traditional waste management.1