The mission of the Resource Recovery Center (RRC) at Columbia University is to identify the best available technologies for recycling of various waste materials, conduct additional academic research as required, and disseminate this information by means of its publications, and the RRC web. In particular, RRC strives to increase the global recovery of materials from used solids and to advance the economic and environmental performance of recycling technologies in the U.S. and worldwide. The guiding principle is that responsible management of wastes must be based on science and best available technology and not what seems to be inexpensive now but can be very costly in the near future.