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Something I've wondered about for a while is if we just decreased the variety of things we allow to be put into combined recycling if that would help. For exam

Something I've wondered about for a while is if we just decreased the variety of things we allow to be put into combined recycling if that would help. For example, if we eliminate paper and glass entirely from recycling programs and all recycling was plastic and metal. Would this help? I know a some amount of paper is carbon neutral at this point because planting is required which offsets use. And a deposit could be charged for glass which would help that. If we focused on metal, which is profitable and plastic which seems to be most problematic would we be better off?

droopyEyelids 7y ago
I think you're right, but we'd eliminate plastic- paper and metal are economically recyclable. Paper is a huge problem, too. It's one of the most polluting industries, up there with mining. And, I believe, that is just the production of paper- not including the forestry that is also required.
_delirium 7y ago
Some single-stream systems have stopped taking glass. Paper/cardboard seems to be cost-effective so there isn't a real pressure to remove that. If anything it's one of the few things (along with metal) that the recycling systems actually get decent recovery rates from. The reasons for removing glass in particular seem to be: 1) it's the heaviest component, so removing it decreases transportation/processing costs, 2) after China stopped accepting exported glass, there's a lack of processors who will take it, and 3) broken glass shards contaminate more valuable things in the stream, plus damage machinery. Plastic isn't really cost-effective either and has low recovery rates, but it's at least lighter than glass and doesn't break into shards as easily, so a lot of places still take it, if only to make people feel good. Links: https://wamu.org/story/19/04/26/arlington-ends-curbside-glass-recycling/ https://wamu.org/story/19/04/26/arlington-ends-curbside-glas..., https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news2/glass-containers-no-longer-required-in-curbside-recycling-program/ https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news2/glass-containers-no-long..., https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/recycling-programs-phase-out-glass-2018/ https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/recycling-programs-ph...
- DubiousPusher 7y ago
  I was thinking paper not because it's not cost effective in itself, I just kind of assumed wet or soiled paper was a source of contamination for other things. I think plastic should be a priority because it seems to be the most disasterous of recyclables when it comes to environmental contamination. Taxing plastic packaging to include externalities would probably fix this.
  - ip26 7y ago
    office paper & corrugated cardboard are some of the higher value recycled materials.
bluGill 7y ago
What would help is to figure out a use for more things. Ideally we get so good at sorting washing and recycling that everything goes to recycling and they figure it out from there. I throw a lot of things in the trash that could in theory be recycled but they don't currently (partially because of contamination). Still I have more recyclable trash than landfill trash by volume (this isn't as good as it sounds as they don't want us to crush the recycling, while landfill bound trash compacts well)

droopyEyelids 7y ago

I think you're right, but we'd eliminate plastic- paper and metal are economically recyclable. Paper is a huge problem, too. It's one of the most polluting industries, up there with mining. And, I believe, that is just the production of paper- not including the forestry that is also required.

_delirium 7y ago

Some single-stream systems have stopped taking glass. Paper/cardboard seems to be cost-effective so there isn't a real pressure to remove that. If anything it's one of the few things (along with metal) that the recycling systems actually get decent recovery rates from. The reasons for removing glass in particular seem to be: 1) it's the heaviest component, so removing it decreases transportation/processing costs, 2) after China stopped accepting exported glass, there's a lack of processors who will take it, and 3) broken glass shards contaminate more valuable things in the stream, plus damage machinery. Plastic isn't really cost-effective either and has low recovery rates, but it's at least lighter than glass and doesn't break into shards as easily, so a lot of places still take it, if only to make people feel good. Links: https://wamu.org/story/19/04/26/arlington-ends-curbside-glass-recycling/ https://wamu.org/story/19/04/26/arlington-ends-curbside-glas..., https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news2/glass-containers-no-longer-required-in-curbside-recycling-program/ https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news2/glass-containers-no-long..., https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/recycling-programs-phase-out-glass-2018/ https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/recycling-programs-ph...

DubiousPusher 7y ago
I was thinking paper not because it's not cost effective in itself, I just kind of assumed wet or soiled paper was a source of contamination for other things. I think plastic should be a priority because it seems to be the most disasterous of recyclables when it comes to environmental contamination. Taxing plastic packaging to include externalities would probably fix this.
- ip26 7y ago
  office paper & corrugated cardboard are some of the higher value recycled materials.

bluGill 7y ago

What would help is to figure out a use for more things. Ideally we get so good at sorting washing and recycling that everything goes to recycling and they figure it out from there. I throw a lot of things in the trash that could in theory be recycled but they don't currently (partially because of contamination). Still I have more recyclable trash than landfill trash by volume (this isn't as good as it sounds as they don't want us to crush the recycling, while landfill bound trash compacts well)