Every form of energy has its pluses and minuses, and, as a society, we do not always recognize this fact. The emissions of fossil fuels have been widely recognized. However, for renewable energy, everyone focuses on their reduced emissions and not the issues surrounding the mining of their component parts or end-of-life disposal.

The EPA has begun to examine these issues. Challenges ranging from consumer confusion to reduced international markets, as well as outdated recycling infrastructure that has not kept pace with modern material streams, has meant that, for many years, the recycling rate in our country has languished.