Ecologue

This week’s Believe it or Not will take a look back at some of the dirtier moments in recycling’s history, including the exploitation of recycling laws, and one of the most pivotal moments in sustainability lawmaking.

The Love Canal: a recipe for disaster

One of the largest environmental disasters began with a plot of land being sold for $1.

Located in Niagara Falls, New York, the Love Canal was a dump site for Hooker Chemical containing 21,000 tons of toxic waste, until the Niagara Falls School Board purchased the land in order to build new schools, despite warnings from the company.

The toxic waste didn’t disappear however, and residents developed an alarmingly high number of health problems, including miscarriages and birth defects, receiving regular chemical burns, and even signs linked to leukemia.

The event later went on to form the basis of many superfund laws, which see to the safety of residents as well as the proper disposal of toxic materials.

Mob earns millions manipulating New Jersey recycling

Recycling is a business, and there are few who understand the intricacies of business as well as members of organized crime. It should come to little surprise to hear that 30 criminals found work in New Jersey in the waste industry, and have been manipulating it to rake in millions.

The control the criminals have is no big secret either. Frank Lemmo Jr. worked openly in the industry for years, all the while exploiting multiple loopholes in N.J.’s waste laws.

This post is part of the “Reedcycler’s Believe it or Not” blog series, which showcases weird waste-related stories. Tune in on Mondays each week for more.