As with incineration and waste of air pollution, recycling and water pollution must be compared to land disposal and land pollution potential. Resource Costs Recycled materials are a resource for industry. As such, the cost of the recycled material is one factor in deciding whether or not to use recycled materials. Some recycling efforts are also energy intensive. Most recycling projects are labor intensive.
Every recyclable material has some problems.
The overriding issue however is demand for recycled materials. Recycling as an industry is demand driven. Only those materials for which there is a great demand at any given time are economical to recycle. Recycling and the Consumer To create the market demand for recycled products, consumers must demand and purchase goods made from recycled materials and goods that are recyclable. One of the myths about recycling is that recycled products are inferior to virgin-source products.