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Hanna Lee
INTS 401
April 26, 2017

What Goes Around, Comes Around

This study investigates the recycling process of how discarded items are revalued and

how companies ultimately profit off of student’s environmental concerns and the recycling

infrastructures at Texas A&M University. People are driven to recycle for many different reasons

and, depending on the country, people, and environment, recycling is emphasised and/or ignored

at various levels. For example, top recycling countries like Germany and Austria’s recycling rate

is over 60 percent while the United States’ recycling rate only reaches around half of that.

According to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2013, there was about 254

million tons of municipal solid wastes (MSW) generated in the US, which is about 4.4 pounds

per person per day. However, Americans recycle only 34 percent of the MSW they create.

Despite the lower recycling rate, the recycling industry within the United States generates nearly

$105.81 billion annually in economic benefits. Thus in order to investigate the relationship

between recycling and its economic benefits, we analyzed the recycling process and the control

and final destination of the flow of profits from recycling. This study was conducted on Texas

A&M campus and the Bryan-College Station area throughout a semester-long period involving

interviews and data research with Texas A&M Department of Utilities & Energy Services,

Brazos Valley Recycling, and other sources including published reports, scholarly articles, and

documentaries. As a result of this project, research analysis, field data, and statistics bolsters the

idea that the companies within the recycling industry economically benefit from student’s

environmental concerns and the recycling infrastructure at Texas A&M University.

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Methods

The type of research that was used in this study is qualitative research and quantitative

research. This research focuses on the recycling process and statistics as well as the intentions

and reasons behind each step and decision. This study was done through interviews and data

research gathered from both the Texas A&M campus and the Bryan-College Station area in order

to lead us to how the recycling wastes get repurposed. On March 31st, my research partner and I

commenced our research to trace the recycling system at the Memorial Student Center where we

talked to custodians from SSC Service Solutions, who are in charge of picking up the recycle

bins, about the recycling pickup schedule and next destination of the wastes. Their response

directed us to the Dock behind the MSC, where custodians accumulate and compile the recycled

items into one of the many dumpster scattered on campus. At the Dock, we talked to the

Warehouse and Shipping Manager, who toured us around where items, such as cardboard,

plastic, paper, and compost, were stored until they were scheduled to be transported by the Texas

A&M Department of Utilities and Energy Services.

On April 3rd, my partner and I visited the Texas A&M Department of Utilities and

Energy Services office to interview the Recycling Coordinator and the Special Project

Coordinator. At the site, we had the opportunity to observe recycling infrastructures such as

recycling bins, the on-site dumpsters, drop off locations, and the transportation trucks used to

effectively and efficiently implement the recycling system at Texas A&M University. They also

revealed that their team of employees is in charge of collecting all the recycled materials from

many different dumpsters, including the dumpsters all over campus and in the Bryan/College

Station area, and transporting them to Brazos Valley Recycling.

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Subsequently, on April 7th, we visited the Brazos Valley Recycling facility to interview

the General Manager about the process of weighing, classifying, separating, baling, and,

ultimately, selling the recycled items to companies offering the highest price for the items. We

were guided to observe each section of the facility that was divided by each material such as the

paper recycling section, plastic recycling section, cardboard recycling section, wood recycling

section, metals recycling section, food compost recycling section and a few others. Along with a

more expansive explanation of the process of each item and how they are revalued, we also

collected statistics and data from the Office Manager at Brazos Valley Recycling to analyze

more thoroughly.

Additionally, to further interpret, explain, and support all the data gathered from our field

research, my research partner and I emailed the top five recycling universities and seven lower

ranked universities listed on Recyclemania, which is a friendly benchmarking tool for university

recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities. Out of to the universities, Rutgers

University (#1) and Purdue University ​West Lafayette (#4) replied to our​ inquiries about their

motivation, impact, and outlook on recycling on their specific campuses. Lastly, other sources

including published reports, scholarly articles, and documentaries were also used to support this

study.

Recycling History and Reason

Recycling is defined as “to alter or adapt for new use without changing the essential form

or nature.” In this definition, the act of recycling can be traced back to Athens in 400 BC where

metals were melted and reused. Recycling finally reached the United States in the 1690s and the
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highlight in the history of recycling was during World War II when universal, massive

campaigns were disseminated throughout the nation to collect materials in order to save money

for war efforts. Thereafter, in the 1970s, Earth Day was established which annually celebrates

the birth of the modern environmental movement on April 22nd. However, Times Magazine

states, “Rather than recycling in order to get the most out of the materials, Americans began to

recycle in order to deal with the massive amounts of waste produced...in short, recycling stopped

being a way for consumers to get more from their purchases and became something that cost

people money or at least time.”(Waxman, 2016)​ ​In other words, the reasons for recycling had

transformed and shifted toward a negative direction by the 1970s. So, if present-day recycling is

costing people time and money, what compels people to recycle? Additionally, majority

employees, recycling companies, different university recycling managers answered and believes

that everyone benefits. However, does everyone benefit? And if so, then who essentially benefits

the most?

According to recycling-guide.org, people are driven to recycle by environmental

importances and an importance to people. From the environmental viewpoint, “recycling helps to

reduce pollution such as harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses, prevents deforestation as it

reduces the need for raw materials, and requires much less energy to make products out of

recycled material, thus preserving natural resources.” Additionally, from the viewpoint of

humanity, “recycling can also reduce financial expenditure in the economy, clear up space as

wastes are taken away from landfills, and preserve natural resources for future generations.”

(recycling-guide.org) However, the reasons are easily altered and diverted during the practice
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and carrying out of the recycling process to serve and satisfy recycling companies’ reasons for

economic benefit and profit.

Recycling at Texas A&M University

Recycling Services emerged at Texas A&M University in 1990 when the Texas

government requested an implementation of a recycling system in every building on campus.

The recycling system developed and became more defined through the establishment of an

official, effective system in 1994. According to the Texas A&M Recycling Coordinator, the

recycling at Texas A&M starts from the decision of the students choosing to recycle their

recyclable wastes into the recycle bins scattered around campus. However, what we found was

that what happens after to the recycled soda can, paper, or water bottle is largely unknown to the

student. Texas A&M recycling system collectively consists of transporting recycled wastes to

Brazos Valley Recycling, the sorting and selling of wastes to private companies offering the

highest price for the material, and selling the wastes again to their respective destinations, such

as paper to a paper mill, plastic to be processed to be polyester for clothes, or food compost to be

made into fertilizer. Tracing the recycling process at Texas A&M University, we see that the

decisions and steps in the recycling process are essentially unknown and out of the student’s (the

recycler’s) control. The process, practice, and final destination of the materials the student chose

to recycle for their concern for the environment or for humanity is displaced from their control,

and thereafter are forced to entrust the system to properly recycle the wastes and fulfill their

concerns. Texas A&M University recycling may have a diversion rate of 65-70% and Brazos

Valley Recycling may recycle around 88% of the 350 tons of recycled items received, but the
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recycler, however, virtually loses control of the decisions affecting the flow of profit and

economic benefit from the recycling process.

Plastic Recycling Process

Plastic, in particular, is a pivotal recyclable material that reveals the flow of profit and

economic benefit because plastic, unlike other materials, can never be completely demolished. In

other words, the recycling of plastic provides companies and recycling industries access to an

endless life cycle in the recycling of plastics and ultimately, the reaping of an endless supply of

profit. To further clarify, specify, and explain the recycling of plastic at Texas A&M University,

the system starts from the recycler's choice to recycle the plastic, from there Brazos Valley

Recycling gathers profit from recyclers for the transportation and disposing of the plastic, next,

BVR separates, bales, and once again, gathers profit from companies offering the highest price

for the baled plastic. Lastly, the private companies wash, grind up, melt the plastic into pellets in

order to collect a greater profit by selling the pellets to be made into polyester materials such as

clothing, doll stuffing, and carpet in international places such as China. ​According to

Worldwatch Institute statistics, “the global plastic industry generates revenue about $600 billion

annually.” (Gourmelon, 2015) In other words, the recycling industry, that involves many

international organizations working together, as a whole can be seen as a global phenomenon of

circulation of discarded objects. But in narrowing our focus on to Texas A&M University and

the College Station area, we can observe and affirm through the circulation of items and cycle of

connected destinations that the Texas A&M recycling system is essentially its local incarnation.

Conclusively, the plastic recycling system at Texas A&M University reveals how recycling can
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be seen as a plan made by recycling industries and companies to make profit out of our trash and

our contribution. The underlying manipulation of people and students on campus is disguised by

attaching reasons to recycle such as recycling for the environment or for humanity, when in

truth, it is done for their own gain.

Discussion

The fact that by the 1970s, Americans’ reason to recycle were to deal with the massive

amounts of waste produced, costing people money and time, reminded me of the documentary,

Garbage Dreams​, which depicts a different perspective revealing that many Egyptians’ reasons

and needs for the recycling of wastes and recycling infrastructures are for survival. These two

realities show the contrast between the relationship between citizens and their relation to wastes.

The United States of America, a capitalist, production, and consumer based society consisting of

financially stable citizens, views wastes as something useless, unnecessary, and needing to be

demolished. However, on the other hand, Egyptians view wastes as a source of income, hope for

the future, and a necessity for survival. Both views of the wastes shape their reasons and drive in

recycling.

Additionally, the idea of how the recycling industry and private companies reap the

benefits while also controlling the flow of profit from student’s recycling wastes at Texas A&M

University reminded me of the article, ​Wastelandia​, which introduces Ghana’s public toilet and

the entrepreneur, M, whose pursuit of infrastructural dominion involved building his authority

upon bodily outputs. The recycling industry and private companies’ authority parallel M’s

authority as human wastes, either bodily outputs or recyclable wastes, are being used to establish
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control and dominion. Both establishment of authority and control was achieved through a series

of implementing infrastructures into the area for the citizens and students to use. Once again

these relate because they are both disguised manipulation of seeming to help the people and

promote concerns for a better life, but in reality both are using the wastes of others for their

personal gain.

Furthermore, the recycling process of plastic that starts at Texas A&M University

campus, then goes to Brazos Valley Recycling in College Station, then, to multiple companies

within the United States that process the plastic to little pellets, and then to international places

all over the world such as China that transform the pellets into polyester for other uses, reminded

me of the reading, ​Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy: an Economist Examples the

Market, Power, and Political of world trade​, where the production of a T-shirt from cotton,

distribution, and consumption is found all over the world, reaching many different countries. The

production of a T-shirt starts at a local cotton farm in Texas, then ultimately, also makes it way

to international places such as China that processes the cotton to fabric and clothing, and then to

be sold back to the United States or other countries around the world. Once again these relate

because the process of the recycling of plastic and the production and distribution of a T-shirt are

both a global phenomenon of circulation. Not only does this apply to the recycling process of

plastic, but also to all discarded, recyclable items where the recycling industry as a whole can be

seen as a global phenomenon of circulation of discarded objects. As this global phenomenon is

exemplified within the recycling process at Texas A&M University through the circulation of

items and cycle of connected destinations, the Texas A&M recycling system is essentially its

local incarnation.
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Conclusion

In conclusion, this study investigated the recycling process of how discarded items are

revalued and how companies ultimately profit off of student’s environmental concerns and the

recycling infrastructures at Texas A&M University. Firstly, although many recyclers’, including

students at Texas A&M University, initial reasons for recycling are for the concern of the

environment and humanity, these reasons can easily be altered and diverted during the practice

and carrying out of the recycling process to serve and satisfy company’s reasons for economic

benefit and profit. Secondly, because the process, practice, and final destination of the recycled

material are unknown to the recyclers, this results in a loss of control of the decisions affecting

the flow of profit and economic benefit from the recycling process. Lastly, specifically focusing

on the recycling process of plastic, which has an endless recycling life cycle unlike other

materials, allows the recycling industry and companies to reap an endless supply of profit, which

reveals how recycling can be seen as a plan made by recycling industries and companies, who

disguise the underlying manipulation of people and students on campus by attaching reasons and

persuading them to recycle, to make profit out of our trash and our contribution to recycling.

Overall, independent companies within the recycling industry economically benefit from

student’s environmental concerns and the recycling infrastructure at Texas A&M University.
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Bibliography

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"History of Recycling." ​All- Recycling -Facts.com​. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.

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Chalfin, Brenda. "‘Wastelandia’: Infrastructure and the Commonwealth of Waste in Urban

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Garbage Dreams​. Dir. Mai Iskander. N.p., 31 July 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.

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