He is over the top! Most places no longer require you to sort. In fact we get charged for the amount of "trash" we put out, but no charge for recycling. So it saves me money to recycle. The reason they do this is that they want to reduce landfill volume. But yes the only profitable items these days are cans and plastic. Here they're talking about composting the paper.
You know, I just don't buy what Penn and Teller are claiming. Aluminum is very energy intensive to make from ore. so that one is definitely out. If plastic bottles really aren't cost effective to recycle, why do the Chinese buy up so much of ours. In fact, so much of the supply is bought by China, that a local company which used the plastic for clothing, is forced to import plastic bottles from Canada since they can't get enough domestically. So what is left, glass and paper. there they are probably right. Still that is only half of the recycle stream.
kelly, you are making the points they made. Aluminum is the right one to do, plastic seems like a toss-up and paper is downright stupid. Glass, I'm not sure.
We used to have a curbside recycling program but the city cut it because it wasn't being utilized enough.
As a pilot program in cooperation with Gulf Coast Recycling (a local recycling company) and Waste Management, the city bought a fairly large bin (about the size of three or four standard dumpsters) and put it in the parking lot of a grocery store near the center of town for people to drop off their recycling. In the first 45 days they collected something like 60 tons of stuff and had to empty the bin about once a day.
Don't ask me about the economics of recycling some stuff versus others. My mind's too small to wrap around that. I simply figure that if it wasn't worth recycling then Gulf Coast Recycling wouldn't take it since, after all, they are a business.
Justin, according to the Penn & Teller video, it's a money loser for the city. You pay the loss out of your taxes. They do it because everyone thinks it makes sense, not because it actually does make sense.
we recycle cans at my school, and it amazes me just how many we collect during the week. last year i collected cans in my room for half the year and made a *diet coke w. lime* pryamid..... i had students begging for the cans to earn some quick cash.
at home Bigger recycles cans, too. i just wish he would take the jam-packed filled bags from the garage, and the collection on the counter and turn them in.... but hey, it's all good!
He is over the top! Most places no longer require you to sort. In fact we get charged for the amount of "trash" we put out, but no charge for recycling. So it saves me money to recycle. The reason they do this is that they want to reduce landfill volume. But yes the only profitable items these days are cans and plastic. Here they're talking about composting the paper.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I just don't buy what Penn and Teller are claiming. Aluminum is very energy intensive to make from ore. so that one is definitely out. If plastic bottles really aren't cost effective to recycle, why do the Chinese buy up so much of ours. In fact, so much of the supply is bought by China, that a local company which used the plastic for clothing, is forced to import plastic bottles from Canada since they can't get enough domestically. So what is left, glass and paper. there they are probably right. Still that is only half of the recycle stream.
ReplyDeletekelly, you are making the points they made. Aluminum is the right one to do, plastic seems like a toss-up and paper is downright stupid. Glass, I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteWe used to have a curbside recycling program but the city cut it because it wasn't being utilized enough.
ReplyDeleteAs a pilot program in cooperation with Gulf Coast Recycling (a local recycling company) and Waste Management, the city bought a fairly large bin (about the size of three or four standard dumpsters) and put it in the parking lot of a grocery store near the center of town for people to drop off their recycling. In the first 45 days they collected something like 60 tons of stuff and had to empty the bin about once a day.
Don't ask me about the economics of recycling some stuff versus others. My mind's too small to wrap around that. I simply figure that if it wasn't worth recycling then Gulf Coast Recycling wouldn't take it since, after all, they are a business.
Justin, according to the Penn & Teller video, it's a money loser for the city. You pay the loss out of your taxes. They do it because everyone thinks it makes sense, not because it actually does make sense.
ReplyDeleteAluminum cans being the one exception.
we recycle cans at my school, and it amazes me just how many we collect during the week. last year i collected cans in my room for half the year and made a *diet coke w. lime* pryamid..... i had students begging for the cans to earn some quick cash.
ReplyDeleteat home Bigger recycles cans, too. i just wish he would take the jam-packed filled bags from the garage, and the collection on the counter and turn them in.... but hey, it's all good!