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Erica Techo
Alabama Environmental Council recycling director Alan Gurganus speaks at the March 30 Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Michael Moye and Elise Hearn at the March 30 Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Vicki Everett and Mary Norsworthy at the March 30 Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Debbie Therrell at the March 30 Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Payton Thomas and Lisa Shapiro at the March 30 Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Hal Brown, Gary Waters and Danny Tate at the March 30 Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Joe Levio at the March 30 Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Leigh Shaffer, Jeremy Mead and Alan Guganus at the March 30 Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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Erica Techo
Debbie Parrott and John Turner at the March 30 Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.
The recycling industry is bigger than the automotive industry. In Alabama, recycling brings in $6.6 billion in annual sales.
These were some of the facts Alabama Environmental Council recycling director Alan Gurganus shared at the Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce March luncheon. Gurganus discussed the importance of recycling as well as some of the hurdles surrounding recycling.
As much as he and other environmentalists would like to focus on the positive impact of recycling, the costs of sorting through recycled materials and processing those materials add up.
“That’s a very expensive process,” he said. “There’s no magic to it. Sadly recycling doesn’t run on good feeling and good intentions. It’s a global commodities market.”
The economic impact recycling has on Alabama is mainly through manufacturing, Gurganus said. Many manufacturers use recycled goods in their product, and that facilitates a high demand for recycled products.
Promoting recycling can also have a positive economic impact on the state, he said. Now, many manufacturers have to import recycled materials from other states, whereas Alabama could provide more of that to local manufacturers by increasing recycling efforts.
“Even though we’re really rich in the manufacturing sector and demand for recycling, our [recycling] rates are really low,” he said.
Alabama residents recycle at a rate of 2.6-8.3 percent a year, Gurganus said, while the national average is 31-34 percent. Although consumers know where to go to buy certain products or food, they are not as aware of where they can properly dispose of recyclables, he said.
“We’re not so good on the back end of consumerism,” he said.
Recycle Alabama, a campaign that aims to increase individual participation in recycling and increase quantities recycled, is one way AEC is working to educate the public. The campaign helps provide recycling bins and trailers to communities and schools without established programs, and it has grant-funded recycling resources that can be rented for events.
At this time, Alabama has more space for landfills than its northeastern counterparts, Gurganus said, but the goal is to prevent landfills from growing unnecessarily. He showed a photo Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama, in comparison to Mount Rumpke, the fifth-highest point in Ohio and a landfill.
“Part of my mission in my work is to keep Alabama beautiful and not be Ohio,” Gurganus said.
The state is proactive in working to promote and improve recycling, Gurganus said, but that responsibility also falls on cities and counties. Many times, municipalities will fund recycling education programs and other efforts, see participation and recycling rates go up and then choose to use that funding elsewhere. Unfortunately, those municipalities will also see a dip in recycling after funding is removed, he said.
“That’s where the challenge is, and it requires constant education,” Gurganus said.
Gurganus added that on a positive note, Shelby County is one of a few counties that provides a county-wide recycling effort and curbside recycling program.
“There’s only three county-wide efforts going on,” he said. “You guys are rocking it in Shelby County for sure.”
