3 ms·

Glass is mostly recycled into fill, not new glass. It's relatively worthless to recycle because it's about as energy intensive to do and sand is cheap.

by XorNot 3y ago

adrr 3y ago
Paper recycling isn't much benefit either. Paper mills are carbon neutral as they power themselves with byproducts(1) of paper production. Add that you're burying carbon when you dump paper in a landfill. Recycle paper isn't carbon neutral. Then factor in the demand of paper leading to more tree farms. (1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_liquor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_liquor
- nonethewiser 3y ago
  > Add that you're burying carbon when you dump paper in a landfill. Thats essentially recycling then isnt it?
tzs 3y ago
What about the sand shortage I've been reading about for several years. E.g. "Sand shortages push up cost of jam jars and fracking" [1]. (2023) "The problem with our dwindling sand reserves" [2]. (2023) "Sand crisis looms as world population surges, U.N. warns" [3]. (2022) "Why the world is running out of sand" [4]. (2019) "The World is Running Out of Sand" [5]. (2017) [1] https://www.ft.com/content/da751338-81a8-45c6-bf2e-acd97980145a https://www.ft.com/content/da751338-81a8-45c6-bf2e-acd979801... [2] https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/problem-our-dwindling-sand-reserves https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/problem-our-dwin... [3] https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/sand-crisis-looms-world-population-surges-un-warns-2022-04-26/ https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/sand-crisis-loo... [4] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191108-why-the-world-is-running-out-of-sand https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191108-why-the-world-is... [5] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/world-facing-global-sand-crisis-180964815/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/world-facing-g...
- XorNot 3y ago
  Think "cheap relative to glass making" - which is a small high value operation compared to say, concrete production. (or put it this way: 1 ton of sand costs me about AUD$79 / ton and volume would make that cheaper).

Glass is mostly recycled into fill, not new glass. It's relatively worthless to recycle because it's about as energy intensive to do and sand is cheap.

by XorNot 3y ago

Glass is mostly recycled into fill, not new glass. It's relatively worthless to recycle because it's about as energy intensive to do and sand is cheap.

adrr 3y ago

Paper recycling isn't much benefit either. Paper mills are carbon neutral as they power themselves with byproducts(1) of paper production. Add that you're burying carbon when you dump paper in a landfill. Recycle paper isn't carbon neutral. Then factor in the demand of paper leading to more tree farms. (1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_liquor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_liquor

nonethewiser 3y ago
> Add that you're burying carbon when you dump paper in a landfill. Thats essentially recycling then isnt it?

tzs 3y ago

What about the sand shortage I've been reading about for several years. E.g. "Sand shortages push up cost of jam jars and fracking" [1]. (2023) "The problem with our dwindling sand reserves" [2]. (2023) "Sand crisis looms as world population surges, U.N. warns" [3]. (2022) "Why the world is running out of sand" [4]. (2019) "The World is Running Out of Sand" [5]. (2017) [1] https://www.ft.com/content/da751338-81a8-45c6-bf2e-acd97980145a https://www.ft.com/content/da751338-81a8-45c6-bf2e-acd979801... [2] https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/problem-our-dwindling-sand-reserves https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/problem-our-dwin... [3] https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/sand-crisis-looms-world-population-surges-un-warns-2022-04-26/ https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/sand-crisis-loo... [4] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191108-why-the-world-is-running-out-of-sand https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191108-why-the-world-is... [5] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/world-facing-global-sand-crisis-180964815/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/world-facing-g...

XorNot 3y ago
Think "cheap relative to glass making" - which is a small high value operation compared to say, concrete production. (or put it this way: 1 ton of sand costs me about AUD$79 / ton and volume would make that cheaper).