So whats with the recycling program in the United States?

Actually, the US does more recycling than you think. Just because you don't see recycling bins in front of a lot of houses and businesses in Las Vegas doesn't mean recycling is not happening in America. Aluminum cans recycling is a huge success due to the high prices of aluminum today. Heavy copper wiring is also popular due to the high copper prices.

Paper and Cardboard recycling is successful at offices and plants that generate lots of paper and cardboard and in some schools where lots of paper is used. Recycling is common in factories where disposal of waste products would be a hassle. If you take a look at some of the products in the grocery store in the US sometimes it says "made with recycled paper" or "made with 100% recycled paper with 35% post consumer recycled paper"

Steel recycling is big business but you won't see steel cans and bottle tops being recycled as much. Often the recycling is done by businesses that work with steel products such as factories, junk yards, and some garages that specialize in engine work. A heavy damaged engine block or a irreparable machine tools or a large damaged electrical motor contains steel, copper, and/or aluminum, all high value recycling metals. In fact many cars on the American interstates have a lot of recycled steel in them.

Bottle recycling is a problem since the average household doesn't generate a lot of bottle waste. Bottle recycling works better in restaurants and bars where lots of bottles are used.

Plastic recycling is a bigger problem because the recycling of plastic generates little income and waste plastic tends to be more difficult to recycle and more expensive to recycle. Also plastic waste is light so you need to recycle lots of plastic bags and 2-liter bottles to make one piece of plastic furniture or some fleece jacket. The biggest goal for businesses using plastic is not to recycle plastic but to conserve plastic. The gallon milk jugs of today are much lighter and has much less plastic than those of 25 years ago and that is the same for the 2-liter bottle. Also plastic is the preferred material for the medical industry because it is very cheap and it is safer to use single use materials to prevent the spread of infection. Medical plastic waste is incredibly expensive and difficult to recycle so it tends to be buried or burned at high temperatures instead of recycled.

In the US we do not charge businesses that make or import goods a disposal fee or garbage fee so it is difficult to fund programs that encourage post-consumer recycling. In fact the best places for post-consumer is America are Portland (Oregon), the San Francisco Metro area, the Boston Metro Area, and Seattle where recycling is a way of life. But people in New Mexico and Las Vegas hardly know what post consumer recycling is.

Las Vegas is not representative of the Unites States as a whole in oh so many ways!

Most people are so busy looking at the other things going on in that town that they don't think to notice recycling. Many people that go there don't know or don't care while they are there, much in the same way that you may toss something in the trash at a party that you would compost at home.

º The first link is a Green guide to Las Vegas

º In most cases, recycling at hotels and casinos occur behind the scene due to space constraints in the areas where the hotel and casino patrons are spending their time.

º The Harrah’s Foundation has donated $100,000 to the Clean the World Foundation to develop a soap recycling facility in Las Vegas.

people have really messy views on recycling in the states it seems. states decide for themselves what they do and dont want to do with recycling and people tend to be lazy an careless. it pathetic. its such an easy way to ease the filth and waste from our out of control consumption and most people are just being stubborn or lazy.

good for canada, though. im happy that some places and people actually give a hoot.

Just because you don't see doesn't mean that it doesn't happen in LV

http://www.p2pays.org/ref/01/00559.htm

It should be promoted. It is helpful for minimising pollution.