How much is the Southeast throwing away?
According to the Curbside Value Partnership, an estimated $1.2 billion worth of recyclable materials were disposed of in Region 4 states based on the 2006 population. Paper, one of the easiest materials to recycle, had the highest percent of lost value for the region. In addition to the lost value of these recyclables, one must also consider the cost of tipping fees for dumping such valuable materials. SP Newsprint out of Dublin, GA, is one of the largest recycling corporations in the Southeast. Specifically, their paper mill consumes more than 750,000 tons of recycled fiber each year in making 100% recycled newsprint. However, the Southeast domestic demand for old newsprint exceeds the available supply. If SP Newsprint recovered all the used newspapers and publishers’ production scrap in the State of Georgia, they would still have to purchase quality tonnage from other Southeast market areas and beyond to meet their production needs. According to South Carolina’s Economic Report compi
