What? The Earth is bleeding, and were doing nothing but plunder its resources, so how can I say something so brazen as "recycling is a scam"?
Let me clarify something. Not all recycling is pointless. If a material is non-renewable, and will otherwise end up in a landfill for millennia without breaking down, then yes, it's worth recycling.
Plastic is worth recycling- It is derived from non-renewable petroleum, and takes forever to break down.
Metal is worth recycling- It is mined from the Earth, and can not be replenishable. It degrades within decades, but the mineral serves no more use when it sits in a landfill.
Glass? That's questionable. Glass is derived from sand, which is derived from the erosion of stone, so technically, it's a limited resource. However, there is so much sand in the world that there is no danger at all in the long term of running out. So, is it worth recycling glass? No, it's too expensive and it pollutes. See paper, below.
Paper? Well, here's the kicker: paper is not worth recycling. First of all, paper is a renewable resource. It comes from trees which come from forests, and forests regenerate at a surprisingly quick rate. With today's advanced forest management practices (at least in more developed nations), we are harvesting less trees than we did 100 years ago. Not only that, but we are harvesting almost entirely "regen" or replanted forests. New techniques are being employed to limit clear-cutting, and measures are implemented to ensure the maintenance of biodiversity. Believe me, I've witnessed the system first hand. When forests are managed correctly, we are not in danger of running out of trees. In fact, pests, such as the mountain pine beetle pose a significantly greater threat to the landscape than does timber harvesting. However, even if most pine forests are wiped out by the beetle, we will certainly see a newly regenerated forest of pines within a few decades. The point is this: forestry is not all bad, and we need the resource for paper and building supplies, especially with the growing population of the Earth and the demands that come with it. Wood is an inexpensive building material, and will not be replaced by anything cheaper or more "environmentally sound" in our lifetimes.
So why not recycle the paper anyway, rather than having it go aimlessly to a landfill? Well, what most people don't know is that paper recycling is extremely expensive. It costs significantly more to collect, sort, break down, and reform paper pulp into recycled paper than it does to create new paper. Not only that- it pollutes as well! Paper recycling plants do nearly as much harm to the environment as paper mills.
Wanna watch something interesting? Here's a link to Penn & Teller's "Bullshit", which talks about some of the same things. There are points I disagree with, but I mainly agree with the parts on paper.
Penn & Teller Bullshit- Recycling
Now, believe me, I really want recycling to work out, and I'm glad that so many people want to save the planet. I just think that the system isn't efficient enough at this time. I think we should focus more on reducing than recycling, and I'm glad to note that the world is becoming more and more paperless.
Before you beat me over the head about not putting my junk mail in the recycle bin, I have to admit that I do use the blue boxes. *sigh* As Val Kilmer said as Doc Holliday in "Tombstone", "My hypocrisy knows no bounds." My hands are tied. My municipality has enacted a bylaw prohibiting the disposal of paper trash; any recyclables not in the blue bins are not even collected. So... I have to do it. Not only that, but the strata council at my condo complex would linch me if I tossed paper into the dumpster. Not only that, but so would my coworkers in the office.
It seems everyone has fallen prey to the recycling cult's message.
Let me clarify something. Not all recycling is pointless. If a material is non-renewable, and will otherwise end up in a landfill for millennia without breaking down, then yes, it's worth recycling.
Plastic is worth recycling- It is derived from non-renewable petroleum, and takes forever to break down.
Metal is worth recycling- It is mined from the Earth, and can not be replenishable. It degrades within decades, but the mineral serves no more use when it sits in a landfill.
Glass? That's questionable. Glass is derived from sand, which is derived from the erosion of stone, so technically, it's a limited resource. However, there is so much sand in the world that there is no danger at all in the long term of running out. So, is it worth recycling glass? No, it's too expensive and it pollutes. See paper, below.
Paper? Well, here's the kicker: paper is not worth recycling. First of all, paper is a renewable resource. It comes from trees which come from forests, and forests regenerate at a surprisingly quick rate. With today's advanced forest management practices (at least in more developed nations), we are harvesting less trees than we did 100 years ago. Not only that, but we are harvesting almost entirely "regen" or replanted forests. New techniques are being employed to limit clear-cutting, and measures are implemented to ensure the maintenance of biodiversity. Believe me, I've witnessed the system first hand. When forests are managed correctly, we are not in danger of running out of trees. In fact, pests, such as the mountain pine beetle pose a significantly greater threat to the landscape than does timber harvesting. However, even if most pine forests are wiped out by the beetle, we will certainly see a newly regenerated forest of pines within a few decades. The point is this: forestry is not all bad, and we need the resource for paper and building supplies, especially with the growing population of the Earth and the demands that come with it. Wood is an inexpensive building material, and will not be replaced by anything cheaper or more "environmentally sound" in our lifetimes.
So why not recycle the paper anyway, rather than having it go aimlessly to a landfill? Well, what most people don't know is that paper recycling is extremely expensive. It costs significantly more to collect, sort, break down, and reform paper pulp into recycled paper than it does to create new paper. Not only that- it pollutes as well! Paper recycling plants do nearly as much harm to the environment as paper mills.
Wanna watch something interesting? Here's a link to Penn & Teller's "Bullshit", which talks about some of the same things. There are points I disagree with, but I mainly agree with the parts on paper.
Penn & Teller Bullshit- Recycling
Now, believe me, I really want recycling to work out, and I'm glad that so many people want to save the planet. I just think that the system isn't efficient enough at this time. I think we should focus more on reducing than recycling, and I'm glad to note that the world is becoming more and more paperless.
Before you beat me over the head about not putting my junk mail in the recycle bin, I have to admit that I do use the blue boxes. *sigh* As Val Kilmer said as Doc Holliday in "Tombstone", "My hypocrisy knows no bounds." My hands are tied. My municipality has enacted a bylaw prohibiting the disposal of paper trash; any recyclables not in the blue bins are not even collected. So... I have to do it. Not only that, but the strata council at my condo complex would linch me if I tossed paper into the dumpster. Not only that, but so would my coworkers in the office.
It seems everyone has fallen prey to the recycling cult's message.
