The impetus to recycle came the old-fashioned way to Oklahoma politicians. The citizens wanted it. All over Oklahoma, from Oklahoma City to Barlesville to Edmond and now to Tulsa, citizens marched on city hall, wrote letters or responded positively to recycling surveys. Now more than half of the population of Oklahoma has access to some form of recycling. In reality, Oklahoma has always been a regional leader in one part of recycling.
Recycling is a big word.
It means separate, collect, preprocess and re-use. The reprocessing or re-manufacturing portion of recycling has been an important part of Oklahoma's economy. The largest private employer in Sapulpa is a recycled glass bottler and the largest employer in Muskogee is a recycled paper mill. Later this year, a recycled cardboard mill opens in Lawton. All the material that is separated and collected must go somewhere and Oklahoma has found a way to make a dollar on it.