New Study Says North Carolina Must Step Up Recycling Efforts

A new study warns that North Carolina is facing serious recycling challenges. 

State of Recycling in North Carolina was issued by the Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center and is meant to address recycling problems and potential solutions statewide.

The study outlines how North Carolina's combined composting and recycling rate is a fraction of the national average. It also reflects how reliance on East Asian markets, which are no longer reliably taking American waste, has impacted some regional programs.

According to a news release, possible reforms include cutting back on the amount of plastic waste being created, encouraging the reuse of already existing objects, and making sure that products are recycled at the end of their working life.

Alex Truelove, a co-author of the report, says he hopes the study instills a sense of urgency to waste reduction efforts.