How Much Is Your Rubbish Worth?
Ruth Alexander finds out who makes money out of what we throw away. On the trail of our recycling, she discovers a multi-billion dollar industry that is global, and in turmoil.
When you throw away rubbish, it can create an environmental problem – or a business opportunity.
Your old newspapers, tin cans and plastic bottles are someone else’s valuable harvest. Just like gold, steel, sugar or coffee, rubbish is traded all over the world as a commodity. If it can be recycled, it’s worth money.
Until recently, countries vied to recycle the waste of others. But now one of the main players - China - says it doesn’t want foreign rubbish anymore. That has sent this multi-billion dollar industry into turmoil and is forcing it to invent new solutions.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Tony Bonsignore
Image: Getty
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- Sat 21 Jul 201802:06GMTBBC World Service except Americas and the Caribbean, East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
- Sat 21 Jul 201807:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
- Sat 21 Jul 201822:32GMTBBC World Service except News Internet
- Sun 22 Jul 201802:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa, Americas and the Caribbean & West and Central Africa only
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