Is maintaining a recycling program the most important core Should the collection of recyclables be considered a core municipal service? For some localities, recycling programs that at one time made fiscal sense are now an economic drain. Amid the downturn, cash-strapped cities should reconsider these programs.
In a new report, senior fellow Howard Husock calculates how much five jurisdictions—New York City, Boston, Westchester County, San Jose, and Dallas—would save by eliminating their recycling programs.
