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Planet: It might have been predictable, and yet few saw the answer coming. In a later day of harder times, of short resources and mandatory recycling, it was inevitable that these landfills should draw the eyes of investors, looking for ways to get rich.
Status: Likely
Reality
Not only are people recycling waste with increasing zeal, and looking at ways to manufacture things so that their components may be re-harvested more efficiently, but they are also starting to look at the stuff that has already vanished into landfills.
A recent New Scientist article describes the incentive:
"Given that the cost of aluminium peaked at $2700 per tonne in July [2008] this means America is burying up to $1.83 billion worth of metal per year. Atkins estimates that there is now more aluminium in US landfills than can be produced from ores globally in one year."
The first global landfill mining conference was held in October 2008 (the second, due to be held in October 2009, has been postponed indefinitely due to the collapse of commodity prices.)
References
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