Photos: Recyclables en route to China

SAN LEANDRO, Calif.--Eeew! That distinct smell of garbage fills the air as sorting lines whiz by. We're in the Davis Street Transfer Station here, where recyclables from the surrounding Alameda County pile up to form a small mountain. Plastics, cardboard, newspapers, and cans are all mixed together.

The Davis Street center, run by Waste Management, collects 4,500 tons of waste daily under normal conditions, including both recyclables and garbage. Since the economy started its downward turn, the amount of trash coming into the center has diminished by 15 percent, says recycling manager Rebecca Jewell. In total, between 48 and 53 percent of all waste that comes gets bundled for resale.