The Utter Waste Of Recycling

Toogood Reports ^ | January 19, 2003 | Alan Caruba

[supercat]

It must be economically easier to use recycled newspaper though, otherwise there wouldn't be a decent market for it.

Recycled paper has value but in many cases that value is less than differential cost of collecting it versus throwing it out.

If the only labor required to recycle a ton of newspapers is picking up a pallet with a fork truck and dropping the contents on a conveyor, it's economically worthwhile. If it means going through the contents of a recycling bin to pull out newspapers that are contaminated with other stuff, it's not.

[supercat]

The thesis that all recycling is an utter waste is flat-out wrong.

True. Only government recycling programs earn that distinction. Of course, since they exist to provide make-work and patronage jobs, one might argue that they're an enormous success.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

In Phoenix they supposedly have a recycle facility, but we don't segregate glass from plastic from aluminum or anything. When they started the "blue barrel" program they showed a clip on the news programs showing people manually sorting the trash, but I always wonder about the glass---doesn't it break? How can they hand-sort broken glass?

In addition, if you are caught throwing non-recylcleable stuff in the blue barrel, the punishment is that you get two regular trash pickups per week. Some penalty!

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Part of the problem is that no one wants to have a landfill near their property. Counties have a heck of a time locating a landfill because the opposition is so intense from the NIMBY crowd.

[fogarty]

Exactly - we need to distinguish between the private and government sector. Just because recycling has proven to be horrendously inefficient in government and cities does not mean it is unworkable in private industry.

[Brad’s Gramma]

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[Tailback]

Exactly, the newspaper in Portland was separate from scrap paper. Scrap paper we had to pay to drop off where with newspaper WE got paid for it.

[John Lenin]

The old "garbage in, garbage out" adage ...

[Clemenza]

I really don't understand how trashing your children's environment can be interpreted as "conservative".

Anybody who brings up "the children" in an argument is merely pulling at emotional heartstrings. You make a valid point nonetheless.

I support recycling when it is viable too. However, here in NYC a lot of what is collected simply ends up on a landfill in West Virginia anyway. Its sickening how the NIMBY soccer moms have stopped ANY incinerator or dump from being built in NY State, particularly since it costs so much more to haul it to West Virginia.

[Clemenza]

What we really need are more modern incineration facilities with up-to-date filtration systems.

BINGO!

[Clemenza]

The "homeless" so the same here in NYC. They knock over trashbins to get the cans, thereby causing more litter on the street.

[cherry]

"I burn"

in our area, they have placed a ton of restrictions on who can burn, who can not and even how much and how big a fire...

all the while, you understand , as we pay for a "waste to energy " plant that has already been fined for spewing dioxins in the air...let alone the smell and odors it emits...

Infact, if one studied these "waste to energy" plants, you would find a plethera of laws passed just before and during the plant's building ,all designed to make sure its the only game in town...eg...stricter and stricter fireplace rules, and burning rules...

I am a big recycler though...have alway been...don't give any cans to the gubmit because I can make money on those...also, I save all my husbands brass from shooting...

yeah, I know, I 'll never get to Europe on what I make...lol

biggest problem is this:...too much packaging and too much waste..

[Hank Rearden]

Throw the crap out. If I wanted to play with my garbage, I'd move to Calcutta.

[ppaul]

Yeah.
And they teach children from an early age, in the government schools, that not recycling is akin to murder - i.e.: killing Mother Earth on Earth Day - and in so doing, generations of guilt-ridden citizens have felt compelled to recycle to assuage their guilty consciences. Sick, sick, sick, environmental-wackoism.

[enviros_kill]

More proof that recycling is a wasted effort

Time to throw out the myth of recycling: http://dynamic.washtimes.com/twt-print.cfm?ArticleID=20030304-94642203

Recycling is done thru guilt or fear and since it requires gov't mandates it is obviously uneconomic. Where I live they charge you extra in your rubbish pickup if you wish to recycle (it's not mandatory as Texas still believes in some independent thinking and personal freedom)-I refused that extra charge with glee and throw everything in the same space-saving 45 gal can in my garage.

Recycling is the equivalent of genuflection to the earth religion. Do the curb side stoop with your offerings to the earth goddess as mandated by the environmental wack jobs.

NYC stopped recycling last year as it cost too much. How many cities and states could improve their broken budgets by doing away with unneeded and useless green religion mandates??