Recycling Is the Smart Choice—And a Strong American Tradition
Recycling is not just about protecting the environment—it’s about protecting our economy, strengthening local industry, and reducing our reliance on foreign materials. That makes recycling not only smart, but a solidly American thing to do.
Recently, some skepticism has crept into conversations about recycling. People want to know: Does recycling actually make a difference? Are materials really being recycled? Is it worth the effort?
In Alachua County and throughout Florida, the answer is yes, yes, and yes!
Your Recycling Supports U.S. Industry
When you recycle items like steel cans, aluminum cans, paper, and cardboard, you’re sending valuable materials back into the supply chain—often right here in the U.S. These commodities are in high demand and are used by American manufacturers to create everything from construction materials to packaging.
With recent increases in tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, there’s even more reason to keep these materials circulating within our own economy. Recycling helps reduce our dependence on imported raw materials and fuels American-made manufacturing.
What Happens to Your Recyclables in Alachua County?
We’ve heard the concern that recyclables might just end up in the landfill. That’s not the case in Alachua County. Here’s generally how the process works:
- If you live in the City of Gainesville and unincorporated Alachua County, your recycling comes to the County-operated Materials Recovery Facility where it is separated, baled and shipped to processing plants around the United States. Glass containers, for example, are sent to Strategic Materials in Sarasota, FL, where they are sorted and processed into new products such as fiberglass insulation and the reflective beads used in road striping.
- If you live in Newberry, Archer or the City of Alachua and have a single bin for mixed recycling, your recyclables are picked up and taken to Waste Pro’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Ocala. This facility uses a single-stream system to sort mixed materials—like paper, cardboard, cans, and plastics—and recovers them for recycling.
Alachua County staff have personally toured these facilities and confirmed that these materials are being recovered and recycled—not dumped.
Recycling Grows Jobs and Local Economies
Recycling is also an economic engine that creates jobs. The Recycling Economic Information (REI) Report, published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), provides data on the economic impacts of recycling and reuse in the United States. It analyzes the number of jobs, wages, and tax revenues generated by the recycling sector. The latest report, from 2020, found that recycling contributed 681,000 jobs, $37.8 billion in wages, and $5.5 billion in tax revenues. Every can, box, and bottle you recycle helps keep that economic engine running.
Want to See It in Action? Take a Tour!
Still curious about what happens after your bin is emptied? Come see for yourself. Alachua County is committed to transparency and offers free public tours of the Leveda Brown Environmental Park and Transfer Station. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about where your recyclables go and how they’re transformed into something new. You can even check out the household hazardous waste collection center so you’ll know where to bring your old paints, e-scrap, batteries, prescription medications, and other hazardous waste items.
Recycling is practical. It’s local. It’s efficient. And yes—it’s a reflection of the values that keep our communities strong and self-reliant.
So, the next time you flatten a cardboard box or rinse out a can, know that you’re not just doing something good for the environment—you’re investing in an American-made solution that prevents pollution, creates jobs and benefits all of us.
Thank you for Recycling Right, Alachua County!