Editor's Letter

Recyclers enter 2008 having just completed another year of booming market activity, with demand for most commodities helping to keep prices high. Sentiments entering this year may be nearly identical to what was being felt 12 months ago. There are signs pointing to continued strength and hope for another good year mixed with knowledge of the business cycle and how it is seemingly overdue to change direction.

Variables for 2008 include one that has been pointed to for a long-time (a Chinese slowdown following the Beijing Olympics) and a guessing game of more recent vintage: How will the sub-prime mortgage meltdown affect the wider economy?

Economists disagree on the effects of these two factors. Here is an optimist’s view:

• Growth rates in China may be such that the construction surrounding Olympic venues and infrastructure is a mere blip within an economy centered around not only 1.2 billion people of its own, but also making goods for people around the world.

• The sub-prime mortgage crisis has hurt many Americans and caused several investment firms to end 2007 with a thud. But those same Americans largely remain employed, so they will continue to churn money through an economy that is now some two-thirds dependent on consumer spending. And while the investment firms suffered, if the economy is humming, they will not sit on the sidelines for long.

A pessimist has room for other scenarios. Recyclers, though, have largely expressed their confidence by continuing to invest in people and equipment that will help them grow their companies in 2008.

FDR’s statement that Americans had nothing to fear but fear itself provides inspiring words for recyclers who want to look forward to the continued potential of the world’s developing economies and their consumption of secondary commodities.

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As promised in last month’s edition of Recycling Today, several design changes have been ushered in with our January 2008 issue.

For loyal readers, an old design can be like an old friend, and abandoning it can cause some grief. We were also reluctant to surrender aspects of our previous design that were working well (like our logo), so not everything has changed.

One intention behind the changes is to present a flow of news between related departments. Another addition is the easy identification of many feature topics using a series of graphic icons.

Like a new friend or business contact, please give the new design a chance to become a familiar companion.