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First, it is already profitable depending on which mess you're talking about. I'm defining the mess as the glut of used electronics in the world. The scrape yar

First, it is already profitable depending on which mess you're talking about. I'm defining the mess as the glut of used electronics in the world. The scrape yards aren't burning things and employing people to simply burn things and spend money. They get money from the scrap. Second, if we define the mess as the act of burning things to mine the valuable minerals within, we have those already too. Recycling in US is about a 5 Billion dollar industry[1]. Sure some of that gets exported, but much of it doesn't. We refine the materials here in a regulated, probably safe way. Third, the issue is more around developing countries pushing their garbage to Africa. That is a complex solution. The producing country has to see it as a problem (their problem). They have to be willing to create infrastructure to process the e-waste. They also have to adjust their present manufacturing capabilities to use recycled goods rather than transform raw materials. There might be a market solution for the third point. Maybe? A lot of that comes with time and maturity. The US polluted a lot. We didn't really start to care until the '70s. It then took twenty years to get cleaner air, ground and water. That's from an already advanced economy. Developing markets will not likely put the money into that while they try to get their people out of the muck (literally). [1] http://inhabitat.com/study-finds-that-the-us-electronics-recycling-industry-is-booming-with-billions-in-profits/ http://inhabitat.com/study-finds-that-the-us-electronics-rec...

ForHackernews 12y ago
> The scrape yards aren't burning things and employing people to simply burn things and spend money. They get money from the scrap. It sounds to me like they aren't employing anyone. They have a big scrap heap, and desperately poor individuals pick through it on their own accord hoping to scavenge some valuable metal they can sell. To put it in terms startup types can relate to: The trash-pickers are independent entrepreneurs and the scrap yard is like Uber, facilitating their trade.
- TeMPOraL 12y ago
  > To put it in terms startup types can relate to: The trash-pickers are independent entrepreneurs and the scrap yard is like Uber, facilitating their trade. I'm sorry, I laughed so hard :D. This goes straight to my quotes file under the heading "One-liners describing Uber", the third quote after the ones from here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9132175 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9132175
- dragontamer 12y ago
  > The trash-pickers are independent entrepreneurs and the scrap yard is like Uber, facilitating their trade. http://globalrec.org/2013/07/31/philippines-waste-pickers-frame-common-agenda-fight-for-right-to-socio-legal-recognition/ http://globalrec.org/2013/07/31/philippines-waste-pickers-fr... Don't joke. Scrap pickers really do believe themselves to be independent entrepreneurs with an important job to do. You push on them, they push back. Its their way of life.
  - ForHackernews 12y ago
    They should unionize and demand safer working conditions as a group.

ForHackernews 12y ago

> The scrape yards aren't burning things and employing people to simply burn things and spend money. They get money from the scrap. It sounds to me like they aren't employing anyone. They have a big scrap heap, and desperately poor individuals pick through it on their own accord hoping to scavenge some valuable metal they can sell. To put it in terms startup types can relate to: The trash-pickers are independent entrepreneurs and the scrap yard is like Uber, facilitating their trade.

TeMPOraL 12y ago
> To put it in terms startup types can relate to: The trash-pickers are independent entrepreneurs and the scrap yard is like Uber, facilitating their trade. I'm sorry, I laughed so hard :D. This goes straight to my quotes file under the heading "One-liners describing Uber", the third quote after the ones from here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9132175 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9132175
dragontamer 12y ago
> The trash-pickers are independent entrepreneurs and the scrap yard is like Uber, facilitating their trade. http://globalrec.org/2013/07/31/philippines-waste-pickers-frame-common-agenda-fight-for-right-to-socio-legal-recognition/ http://globalrec.org/2013/07/31/philippines-waste-pickers-fr... Don't joke. Scrap pickers really do believe themselves to be independent entrepreneurs with an important job to do. You push on them, they push back. Its their way of life.
- ForHackernews 12y ago
  They should unionize and demand safer working conditions as a group.