Modern infrastructure means resilient cities that make decisions based on long-term thinking. Yes, we need roads and bridges, but are we just interested in rebuilding the infrastructure of today? We need to think of the infrastructure of the future, the kind of infrastructure that ensures America’s competitive edge and that supports a forward-thinking circular economy that serves the environment as well as the bottom line.

We cannot thrive as a country if we don’t connect environmental health and infrastructure. That’s where recycling comes in. When it comes to manufacturing goods, we have two choices: take materials from the earth or keep them in cycle. Keeping them in the cycle saves an enormous amount of energy and keeps us from creating more methane-spewing landfills. More than 150 million Americans "vote" for keeping materials in the cycle by putting out their recycling bin every week. As materials move through that cycle, they create jobs every single step of the way ...

It is time the federal government takes as much responsibility for recycling as our cities and towns do. Recycling is the best way for the government to join the private sector in building strong manufacturing and in working toward infrastructure, economic, and environmental goals that are good for people, the planet, and profits.

Read the full article about the importance of recycling in infrastructure by Keefe Harrison at My Social Good News.