While many cities opt for a single-stream recycling process to lessen city costs, this causes the rate of recycling contamination to increase from an average of 2-3% to an average of 15-27% in household recycling bins. Single-stream recycling then increases the cost of sorting and lessens the amount of materials actually recycled.

Tracy Frisch proposes solutions the the recycling problem which include an upstream solution that targets industry systems and actions and increasing public understanding and advocacy. Recyclables should be thought of as resources, not waste.