In a recent article in a trade magazine in the United States, the National Waste & Recycling Association has formulated some forecasts on the possible progress in the recycling market in 2015. According to the author, the markets for recycled paper will remain weak this year. Over the past six months, the prices of recycled paper have decreased because of the slowdown in the economy of China. Another factor contributing to this result was the too rapid expansion of many Chinese paper mills, which find themselves operating at 80-85% of their capacity. Given the reduced demand for their finished products, they cannot afford to pay high prices for paper. This could represent an advantage to American paper mills that use recycled paper, but it is a problem for recyclers and exporters. Recycled plastic markets might also find themselves in difficulty. In fact, the decline in oil prices is also results in a reduction in the prices of polyethylene resin. Thus far, the impact on prices of recycled HDPE and PET has been minimal, but the situation may change. The volumes of recycled materials will continue to decline in 2015. Paper remains the most recycled material, but the use of printed paper fell by 19 million tons, after reaching a peak in 2002. The continued reduction in the weight of packaging also leads to a reduction in the overall tonnage of recycled materials. Industries in different sectors are working more and more to reach the goal of “zero waste”. This represents an environmental benefit, in terms of saving resources and a decrease in the amount disposed in landfills, but at the same time also means a reduction in the amount of recycled materials.