Is recycling worth it?

I saw a Penn&Teller Bullshit about this a while ago!

This story is really about curb side recycling, where you put your recycled stuff and people come and collected it.

There's good and bad things about curb side recycling.

It costs more to make a plastic bottle out of recycled plastic than to make a new plastic bottle.

It costs less to make a aluminum can out of recycled aluminum than to make a new aluminum can.

Composting is recycling and that works.

You should probably post their conclusion for clarification: yes, it is worth it in both cost and energy saving, even when it's relatively inefficient in some locations.

It's an unfortunate reality. And the thing is that Americans are crappy at recycling! 100s of millions more go straight into the Earth!

I'll tell you what's not worth it!!

i think it's probably the best we've got right now (apart from reducing and reusing) but i do think it gives people a sense of undue complacency.

again, apart from reducing and reusing (which i don't think are ever emphasized enough, particularly the former), a better solution might be biodegradable, compostable bioplastics, and minimized packaging.

and just avoiding bottled beverages altogether. it's unfortunate that plain tap water has become an acquired taste.

ANY FORM OF GARBAGE REMOVAL IS WORTHTHE EFFORT.

If all the process of garbage removal is a problem then change how the garbage removal is done. The problem is not the recycling in itself but the way to do it.

Yes but how much water is conserved from recycling. Sure it takes gas to make a bottle but did you know it also takes up to 8 litres of water!

Saving water is so much more important than oil.

Really the best form of recycling is reusing things, especially plastic containers, if you reuse them rather than throwing them away, there's no cost evaluation necessary.

although recycling does cost money... with out it we would have to find more and more places to store our ever growing piles of trash.... why not recycle?

It is the concept of making smart decisions about your lifestyle...and if everyone is making smarter decisions about environmentally smart living collectively, the impacts can be monumental....its not just about one thing, such as recycling plastic bottles....its a larger picture of people doing smart things to help our wonderful Planet and in turn, ourselves and the generations to come...and it is definately worth it....

Watch Penn and Teller's episode of "Bullshit" about recycling. It is mind blowing.

Abolish all plastics.

except maybe for medical supplies.

it's only a panacea if the recycling isn't managed properly - like if it's shipped to places like China or India for 'processing', which turns out mostly just to be landfill. This doesn't discredit the principle of recyling as whole though, just the cynical way with which some companies exploit people's good intentions.

yeh I always wondered about this issue; whether the petrol required to take the recycling to the centers is worse for the environment than the effects of actually not recycling. But I think this has a lot to do with the method of recycling itself, for example, if local community trucks pick up the rubbish rather than everyone driving to leave it off, then that's better.

I think if recycling is done RIGHT, its worth it. Problem is there is a lot of GREED in the industry and many time money is more important than the end result.

jess
http://www.privacy.mx.tc

Reduce and Reuse, like Numinant said, need to be number 1 on the list along with more eco-friendly materials. Recycle should be the last resort.

Buy a water filter for your house (Brita works for me). Buy drink mix instead of drinks in bottles (most of the favorites are available in mix form). Reuse the bottles you already have. When you MUST buy something in a bottle, go for a drink in a glass bottle or paper carton rather than a plastic one.

Then, take whatever you can't phase out and recycle it. If we had to recycle less, it would be less of an issue.

Reduse and reuse, yes. Recycle last resort, yes. This is a big shift for most people. We are creatures of habit and we won't change unless we are given damn good reason to. The well-being of the planet (which we are a part of, not just living on) is not reason enough for most Americans.

The current framework through which most of American's view reality includes a value system which holds money and comfort above the well being of the bio-sphere. This makes no practical sense, since without a planet, there will be no materials to make all the stuff "we" value so dearly.

I say "tax it". Tax all the unnecessary BS that people use, and do, at the expense of the natural world. People are more connected to their bank accounts than to the moans of the earth. So, we should really start hitting people where they can feel it.

I feel that its too late in the game to only make the changes that don't disrupt our cushy day to day lives, to only make changes that require no sacrifice. We've been living in an unsustainable way, we've been stepping, dancing, out of bounds. There are consequences, and we're going to have to feel them.

Let's do it.

peace and love,

travis

Of course recycling is really worth it. More people need to have the mentality of making a change. One person can't do it alone but it is a start!

so... any suggestions about garbage disposal then?

plastic soda bottles are recycled to make polar fleece.

If communities would provide easy access drop off sites then recycling would be not only efficient but definitely eco friendly. My grocery store has bins there and it makes it so convenient when I shop to drop off my items.

i do my part bye turning used bottles and containers into bongs for school children.............what?! lol jk
i lot of energy dose go into recycling but can you imagine the picture at the top of the page in the ocean? cause thats were a crap load of plastic is anyway!