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The Real Benefits of Recycling and Who They Are For With the prices paid for the different commodities with the recycling streams continuing to be low in 2015 there has been a great deal of media attention paid to stories that question the validity of recycling. All of the articles and television and radio pieces that criticize recycling base their conclusions on a bottom line approach that says when prices are this low, it is not worth recycling some or all of the material, and that landfilling or incineration are better options. If all you cared about was maximizing financial profit, we could see why this is a conclusion that could be reached. However, the benefits of recycling go far beyond the balance sheet of large multinational waste companies. Furthermore, the true and often hidden costs of wasting are also not captured on these balance sheets. The benefits of recycling are in good, local jobs., ten of which are created in recycling for every one job created at an incinerator. The benefits of recycling are also in local economic development, especially when materials are sold to local markets.. To be sure, there are invisible costs associated with wasting as well such as increased rates of Illness like asthma and cancer caused by air pollution generated by waste incinerators. These costs are not paid by the waste companies, so their profit margins around waste remain strong. These costs are paid by us and by the health departments of local and state governments. Eureka Recycling is a nonprofit organization in Minnesota that believes waste is preventable not inevitable. Together with progressive organizations across the globe, we've demonstrated that zero waste is possible. From profitable businesses such as Toyota, to stadiums, events, and cities - zero waste is a viable and effective strategy towards the goals the majority of the world shares: safe water to drink, clean air to breath, a just and thriving economy, and long, healthy, happy lives reasonably expected for our children and theirs. There are benefits to recycling that far exceed those ofjust money and profit, and these benefits are booming. Global, Regional, and Local Market Conditions Affecting Prices Recycled materials are commodities just like other products such as, corn, cotton, and oil. In our modern, global economy things that happen near and far can impact the prices paid for material on the open market. The following are the major factors influencing the prices paid for recycled materials. Some are very local issues affecting glass prices. Others are more global in nature and involve the economies of other countries like China. Summary of Current Market Conditions In 2015, the overall prices paid by end markets for the material recycled in the city's program continued to remain low and or continue to fall. Overall prices paid by end markets for material experienced a significant decline in the fall of 2014 due a loss of 200% of the value of glass, which made up 21.36% of Roseville's material in 2015. This significant drop was the result of the Twin Cities losing half of it glass recycling capacity from the shutdown of one of the two glass 7