"The bottom line is that what is recycled and what is not is directly linked to oil," said Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle, which works with companies on programs to make packaging recyclable. "If the cost of collection and processing is greater than the material value, then the material becomes nonrecyclable. If it's less, then it's recyclable. It's that easy. And the material value is 100 percent dependent on oil prices as it's derived from oil."