Garbage costs come out of several pockets from the tax payer.
Costs:
Tipping fee (what it costs to simply dump)
Transportation cost (fuel, labor, maintenance)
Logistical cost (garbage is usually in plastic bags)
Real estate cost to park the trucks
Lost Revenue
all recycling is resold to industry
Secondary Costs
heavy equipment on our roads, emissions of heavy equipment, emissions of incinerator (burning the garbage)
environmental cost due to raw material procurement
habitat loss due to mining
Tertiary costs
healthcare related issues due to exposure to emissions
food chain contamination due to disposables
So, putting a $$ figure onto the 23% is really complex.
Let’s agree, that 23% is a LOT and that is good. And the best is that every person that reads this, will become more aware of his/her actions. Good news that just keeps on giving….