The truth about recycling

probe

This article on the relative costs and benefits of recycling appeared in "The Economist" newspaper recently:

http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9249262


.probe

ceidefields

Very interesting article! I live in a town that has single-streamed recycling and I often wondered where it all ends up and if what I'm putting out for recycling even gets recycled.

In the US in particular, I think the answer lies in reducing consumption and manufacturing goods that don't have as much packaging.

Alun

ceidefields wrote:

Very interesting article! I live in a town that has single-streamed recycling and I often wondered where it all ends up and if what I'm putting out for recycling even gets recycled.

My local refuse collector Greenstar has a newly built recyclables sorting depot the other side of the N11 to me at Fassaroe near Bray. I can see it from the end of my road looking across the Dargle valley and it's a massive structure. They seem to be extending it (doubling it's size) at the moment as well. I don't suppose they'd go to all that trouble if they were just dumping it all somewhere, unless you're into conspiracy theories on a grand scale.

ali.c

ceidefields wrote:

In the US in particular, I think the answer lies in reducing consumption and manufacturing goods that don't have as much packaging.

Though in terms of environmental impacts it swings in roundabouts, because more packaging means less food is damaged during transportation which means less food is wasted and ultimately food production (esp on a large scale level) is more damaging to the environment than using more packaging.

ircoha

probe wrote:

This article on the relative costs and benefits of recycling appeared in "The Economist" newspaper recently:

http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9249262


.probe

The truth [about anything ] from the economist:D