4 ms·

I've always thought recycling is a bit of a sham, designed primarily to provide some feel-good busywork for people who are concerned about environmental impact

I've always thought recycling is a bit of a sham, designed primarily to provide some feel-good busywork for people who are concerned about environmental impact of using bad packaging, but not enough to change their habits.

sgc 8y ago
Not at all. Recycling glass and metal can be virtually perpetual, and applies to far more than just packaging. Recycling paper and plastic is obviously much more limited, and there should be funds derived from disposal fees that are used to research better, longer cycled alternatives (as well as improvements to existing recycling tech). But a 4-6x reduction in paper/plastic waste through recycling is extremely significant nonetheless. Of course lifestyle change is an important part of any solution, but certainly not a panacea or even a desired exclusive remedy.
- jeffdavis 8y ago
  What are glass and metal? Seriously, we hardly use that stuff any more.
  - dylan604 8y ago
    All of the beer you drink is delivered in metal cans or glass bottles with metal tops, usually all purchased in recyclable cardboard packaging.
caoilte 8y ago
I agree up until the last part. Habits aren't formed in a vacuum. Corporations sell products in bad packaging and for most people most of the time there is no reasonable way to avoid purchasing products in that form. The only way to change the situation is to legislate. A tax on packaging seems most pragmatic. Unfortunately, pragmatism would go against the prevailing dogmatic faith in the free market being the solution to all problems and so we do nothing.
- dylan604 8y ago
  How does the tax on the packaging negatively affect the business? The business will just pass that cost directly onto the consumer.
  - amanaplanacanal 8y ago
    This is part of the solution, actually. If packaging is part of the total price of the product, then those products with less packaging will cost less, and be preferred by consumers. It's a direct incentive to use less packaging.
- AlexTWithBeard 8y ago
  Another way would be to make garbage collection "pay as you go", for example by charging for collection bags. This is closer to "free market spirit", but creates a huge incentive to dump the garbage into the nearest river...
  - sanxiyn 8y ago
    The obvious answer is to levy hefty fine for dumping so that expected loss is higher than collection bag fee. Source: I live in collection bag fee jurisdiction.
    - AlexTWithBeard 8y ago
      So how does it work for you? My biggest fear is that the cost of enforcement will greatly outweigh possible benefits. In this sense taxing the "supply" side is much easier.

sgc 8y ago

Not at all. Recycling glass and metal can be virtually perpetual, and applies to far more than just packaging. Recycling paper and plastic is obviously much more limited, and there should be funds derived from disposal fees that are used to research better, longer cycled alternatives (as well as improvements to existing recycling tech). But a 4-6x reduction in paper/plastic waste through recycling is extremely significant nonetheless. Of course lifestyle change is an important part of any solution, but certainly not a panacea or even a desired exclusive remedy.

jeffdavis 8y ago
What are glass and metal? Seriously, we hardly use that stuff any more.
- dylan604 8y ago
  All of the beer you drink is delivered in metal cans or glass bottles with metal tops, usually all purchased in recyclable cardboard packaging.

caoilte 8y ago

I agree up until the last part. Habits aren't formed in a vacuum. Corporations sell products in bad packaging and for most people most of the time there is no reasonable way to avoid purchasing products in that form. The only way to change the situation is to legislate. A tax on packaging seems most pragmatic. Unfortunately, pragmatism would go against the prevailing dogmatic faith in the free market being the solution to all problems and so we do nothing.

dylan604 8y ago
How does the tax on the packaging negatively affect the business? The business will just pass that cost directly onto the consumer.
- amanaplanacanal 8y ago
  This is part of the solution, actually. If packaging is part of the total price of the product, then those products with less packaging will cost less, and be preferred by consumers. It's a direct incentive to use less packaging.
AlexTWithBeard 8y ago
Another way would be to make garbage collection "pay as you go", for example by charging for collection bags. This is closer to "free market spirit", but creates a huge incentive to dump the garbage into the nearest river...
- sanxiyn 8y ago
  The obvious answer is to levy hefty fine for dumping so that expected loss is higher than collection bag fee. Source: I live in collection bag fee jurisdiction.
  - AlexTWithBeard 8y ago
    So how does it work for you? My biggest fear is that the cost of enforcement will greatly outweigh possible benefits. In this sense taxing the "supply" side is much easier.