Skip to main content
Back to Show
PBS News Hour

Why your recyclables might have no place to go

Until this year, China had been America's -- and the world's -- number one recycling market. But China has shut its doors to plastic waste, which could result by 2030 in more than 100 million tons of trash with nowhere to go. So how did our recycling become so reliant on a country half a world away? Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.

Support Provided By
Season
September 14, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
26:45
September 14, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
September 13, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
26:45
September 13, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
September 12, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
September 12, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
September 11, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
September 11, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
September 10, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
September 10, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
September 9, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
September 9, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
September 8, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
56:44
September 8, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
September 7, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
26:45
September 7, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
September 6, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
26:45
September 6, 2025 - PBS News Weekend full episode
September 5, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
September 5, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
September 4, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
September 4, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
September 3, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
57:46
September 3, 2025 - PBS News Hour full episode
Active loading indicator