Reusing and Recycling = Reduced Income for Landfill Workers

One person's gain can be another person's pain. The Associated Press reports that as consumers consume less and reuse more, landfills are being left with more room to fill.

With disposable income shrinking, people are repairing broken appliances and products that they would normally have thrown away. A whole new culture of frugality has taken over many American's lives.

In some regions, landfill volumes have dropped as much as 35% compared to last year. Landfill operators are responding by laying off workers, reducing hours and raising fees.

Environmentalists hail our thrifty ways. Less waste means longer-lasting landfills, which the Sierra Club says "is good for the public because nobody likes to live next to a landfill."