Ever since we moved into our current starter castle, we have recycled plastics, glass, paper, and metal of all sorts. Mostly we did this to reduce the amount of stuff we haul to the dump every week or so, but also, there is a soft spot for Mother Earth. (We did grow up during the environmental movement.) Rhonda has long noticed enormous stacks of cardboard at many recycling centers that never seem to shrink. 5/28/18 New York Times reports that China has stopped taking plastic and paper because of concerns about their own environment. If you have seen video of PC recycling over there, just imagine the equally environmentally sound practices for plastic and paper.
So a lot of that curbside recycling is now going into landfills. The time and money spent on separating recyclables is just wasted.
We are still recycling metals. Aluminum is getting us about 38 cents per pound; the cans are apparently worth nothing. Steel was a penny a pound, but on this last trip, it was worth nothing. We still separate the glass, because the trash compactor might well tear holes in the bags when breaking bottles.
In the year 2819, I suspect that miners will be digging through our centuries of composted trash, looking for glass and plastic ton recycle in plasma torches powered by fusion reactors.
"So a lot of that curbside recycling is now going into landfills. The time and money spent on separating recyclables is just wasted."
ReplyDeleteIt has been for a long while in some locations. And some counties of some states still have the recycling thing just because it looks good.
I think I used my blue bon once. not it holds moms unused gardening pots.
That is a kind of recycling anyway, right?
PS: Check your mail.
So a lot of that curbside recycling is now going into landfills. The time and money spent on separating recyclables is just wasted.
ReplyDeleteI live in Minneapolis, and our recycling mostly goes into the burner along with the trash. (Hennepin Energy Recovery Center).
I've long thought that cities should just bury the stuff, so it will be a mine for future consumption.
ReplyDeleteGenerally, recycling is an economic disaster. Being forced to recycle is objectionable. If you want to do it on your own, fine.
In Phoenix, I can get a second trash can for "free" if I use it for "recyclables." The definition of "recyclable" is maddeningly complex, which means nobody can recycle correctly.
The Chinese stopped buying our recyclable material, so the city, in it's leftist wisdom, is investing millions in a recycling plant. Sigh.
We could segregate what goes where for the benefit of 29th century trash miners. Wait! I see a time travel story!
ReplyDelete