By using this hierarchy, reliance on landfills is diminished and waste is handled in its most efficient manner. For example, a major effort at waste reduction will reduce the overall waste stream without producing a waste that must be managed. Manufacture of more durable goods, improved repair of existing products, and development of packaging with waste reduction in mind can all assist in reducing the waste stream. While waste reduction is an approach that requires a national corporate policy or a federal law to be effective, some communities around the country have attempted to ban the use of certain products because of the product's nonrecyclability in an effort to force waste reduction practices in the local community. Many communities are now employing recycling to further reduce waste volumes which must be handled.
Recycling collects reusable material from the waste stream.
The recycled material then becomes a commodity used in manufacturing new products. For some materials, such as newsprint, glass, and aluminum, markets already exist around the country. For other materials, such as magazines, few markets exist but efforts to improve product marketability are growing. Significant national efforts at recycling are expected to be made in many states in the near future. Waste that is not recycled contains both energy and nutrient value that processing can capture.