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#1
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Re: Recycling vs Garbage
My city has implemented a pretty successful recycling program. Every houshold is provided with three refuse containers that are collected weekly. One for garbage, which goes to the landfill, one for yard waste, which is composted and used by the city and given away to citizens who want to haul it, and one for recyclable materials. Paper, cardboard, aluminum, steel, and plastic all go together in the main bin, and there is a separate tray for glass that nests into the top of the bin.
As you might imagine, this costs a bit tax-wise, but we are told that the recycling program is cost-effective, in that the expense is recovered by reducing use of the landfill and selling the recyclables. |
#2
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Re: Recycling vs Garbage
[ QUOTE ]
My city has implemented a pretty successful recycling program. Every houshold is provided with three refuse containers that are collected weekly. One for garbage, which goes to the landfill, one for yard waste, which is composted and used by the city and given away to citizens who want to haul it, and one for recyclable materials. Paper, cardboard, aluminum, steel, and plastic all go together in the main bin, and there is a separate tray for glass that nests into the top of the bin. As you might imagine, this costs a bit tax-wise, but we are told that the recycling program is cost-effective, in that the expense is recovered by reducing use of the landfill and selling the recyclables. [/ QUOTE ] If it were *really* cost effective, there would be companies lining up to pay you directly for your recyclables. In reality, you have to spend tax dollars on top of your normal garbage collection to get somone to recycle your stuff. |
#3
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Re: Recycling vs Garbage
Yes, but does this point out that recycling is a waste of time and resources, or does it point out that our economy treats raw materials in a rather strange way?
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#4
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Re: Recycling vs Garbage
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Yes, but does this point out that recycling is a waste of time and resources, or does it point out that our economy treats raw materials in a rather strange way? [/ QUOTE ] Chosing to use materials that cost less to process into a useful form is "treating them in a strange way"? I'm shopping for a car. I find a dealer that has two cars of the exact make, model, and color I want. He's asking the same price for both of them, but one has a dent in the side and is missing a wheel. If I buy the one with no dent and all four wheels, am I "treating the cars in a strange way"? |
#5
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Re: Recycling vs Garbage
Cars aint exactly a raw material
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#6
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Re: Recycling vs Garbage
So what? If you can pick between two forms of something you need, one in condition A and one in condition B, and the cost of condition A material + cost to prepare it for use is greater than cost of condition B material + cost to prepare it for use, which one are you going to buy?
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#7
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Re: Recycling vs Garbage
Anyone interested in this issue needs to watch the Penn & Teller Bullsh-t! episode on recycling. They utterly debunk all of the rationales given for recycling, explain how the modern recycling cult came to power, and show exactly why people fall for it so willingly. With the exception of aluminum cans, there is absolutely no argument for the recycling of household goods (industrial recycling of steel and other refined metals, for example from wrecked automobiles, does pay, and they do not address it) that is not fallacious.
Household recycling is wasteful and bad for the environment (except for aluminum cans; always have to except the cans). |
#8
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Re: Recycling vs Garbage
[ QUOTE ]
So what? If you can pick between two forms of something you need, one in condition A and one in condition B, and the cost of condition A material + cost to prepare it for use is greater than cost of condition B material + cost to prepare it for use, which one are you going to buy? [/ QUOTE ] My point of course is that sometimes the economic values we put on stuff is a bit weird. The idea that recycling, in the case it can be done in a matter that is beneficiary for the environment and involves raw material for which there is an limited resource base, is not economically feasible suggests to me that our economy is somewhat out of whack with the real world. But i'm no expert on recycling, maybe in many cases it's not possible to fulfill my requirements of being beneficiary for the environment. I do have the feeling there are cases where it is, though. |
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