3 ms·

Disposal is not so complicated in all the countries. In some you have much looser rules, eg. no labels removal, and [directly] paid collection. While it's tru

Disposal is not so complicated in all the countries. In some you have much looser rules, eg. no labels removal, and [directly] paid collection. While it's true that solving the causes is radically more effective than treating the symptoms, in the isolated view of the garbage recycling, separation by the consumer is still more effective than having it done after collection.

pessimizer 11y ago
> separation by the consumer is still more effective than having it done after collection. Why would this be true? I would think that a worker after collection would be 10x more efficient and precise when separating recyclables then individuals doing it piecemeal. The consumer is certainly paid less than a employee to do that job badly (in comparison), but there's no way that the extra taxes that I would have to pay to have recyclables sorted centrally would be higher than value of the time it takes to sort it myself.
- kuschku 11y ago
  Try to take apart a box where you have half-empty yoghurt cups and newspapers. And now imagine having them separately. Separation by the consumer is far easier, because they can make sure in the paper container is purely paper, and it can just be dissolved, cleaned, and recast into paper. And in the plastic container is just plastic, metal and organic stuff, so you can clean it with water, and are left with plastic and metal, and can separate magnetically.
- CaptSpify 11y ago
  I'm skeptical of this myself. I think the real reason would be: It's cheaper for the recycling company, as it costs them nothing for you to recycle.
- stephengillie 11y ago
  Commercial recyclers operate at a scale too large to hire people to sort. They depend on automated sorting, which uses blown air and physics to separate items - plastic flies higher than metal. What doesn't go into one of the other slots gets sent to the landfill... Including most of the glass jars that you cleaned and sorted carefully.
  - theoh 11y ago
    Actually in some cases the equipment is more advanced. About 8 years ago I visited a mixed recycling facility in London which separated plastic bottles by computer vision triggering a precise air jet to launch each bottle into a different hopper. There was also a stage that used rollers to shatter glass bottles, though I don't remember the purpose of that.
nwah1 11y ago
Combined with the traditional sorting techniques, computer vision and AI are improving to such an extent that sorting probably doesn't need to be done by the consumer anymore. It will just take awhile for all the infrastructure to catch up to this reality.
thinkmassive 11y ago
> separation by the consumer is still more effective than having it done after collection I think this is an antiquated view, because at least some recycling facilities specifically request that you not separate anything. It might sorted by humans after collection, but apparently it's most efficient to have everything dumped into the truck together. http://durhamnc.gov/862/Recycling http://durhamnc.gov/862/Recycling
- douche 11y ago
  When they are just running it through some magnets to kick out the metal that's worth recycling and feeding the rest into an incinerator/trash-fueled boiler.

pessimizer 11y ago

> separation by the consumer is still more effective than having it done after collection. Why would this be true? I would think that a worker after collection would be 10x more efficient and precise when separating recyclables then individuals doing it piecemeal. The consumer is certainly paid less than a employee to do that job badly (in comparison), but there's no way that the extra taxes that I would have to pay to have recyclables sorted centrally would be higher than value of the time it takes to sort it myself.

kuschku 11y ago
Try to take apart a box where you have half-empty yoghurt cups and newspapers. And now imagine having them separately. Separation by the consumer is far easier, because they can make sure in the paper container is purely paper, and it can just be dissolved, cleaned, and recast into paper. And in the plastic container is just plastic, metal and organic stuff, so you can clean it with water, and are left with plastic and metal, and can separate magnetically.
CaptSpify 11y ago
I'm skeptical of this myself. I think the real reason would be: It's cheaper for the recycling company, as it costs them nothing for you to recycle.
stephengillie 11y ago
Commercial recyclers operate at a scale too large to hire people to sort. They depend on automated sorting, which uses blown air and physics to separate items - plastic flies higher than metal. What doesn't go into one of the other slots gets sent to the landfill... Including most of the glass jars that you cleaned and sorted carefully.
- theoh 11y ago
  Actually in some cases the equipment is more advanced. About 8 years ago I visited a mixed recycling facility in London which separated plastic bottles by computer vision triggering a precise air jet to launch each bottle into a different hopper. There was also a stage that used rollers to shatter glass bottles, though I don't remember the purpose of that.

nwah1 11y ago

Combined with the traditional sorting techniques, computer vision and AI are improving to such an extent that sorting probably doesn't need to be done by the consumer anymore. It will just take awhile for all the infrastructure to catch up to this reality.

thinkmassive 11y ago

> separation by the consumer is still more effective than having it done after collection I think this is an antiquated view, because at least some recycling facilities specifically request that you not separate anything. It might sorted by humans after collection, but apparently it's most efficient to have everything dumped into the truck together. http://durhamnc.gov/862/Recycling http://durhamnc.gov/862/Recycling

douche 11y ago
When they are just running it through some magnets to kick out the metal that's worth recycling and feeding the rest into an incinerator/trash-fueled boiler.