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Recycling is popular because, especially in America where we don't even sort our materials. It provides a zero effort way for people to feel like they're helpin

Recycling is popular because, especially in America where we don't even sort our materials. It provides a zero effort way for people to feel like they're helping the environment. The only real way to produce less waste is to consume less and most people aren't interested in actually inconveniencing themselves.

andallas 11y ago
"...especially in America where we don't even sort our materials." I've lived an 7 states from coast to coast, north and south, and in all but 2 we sorted our materials. Just because it doesn't happen where you are from doesn't mean it's not happening everywhere else.
- homulilly 11y ago
  I'm curious how much sorting is the norm where you've been. Where I've lived "sorting" recycling has simply been one bin for glass and another for everything else which barely counts.
stephengillie 11y ago
This article discusses the problems that are created by "one-binning" our recycling: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/american-recycling-is-stalling-and-the-big-blue-bin-is-one-reason-why/2015/06/20/914735e4-1610-11e5-9ddc-e3353542100c_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/american-rec... The problems are mostly a collision of too much recycling, too much expectation for post-bin sorting, a disconnect about the value of recyclable materials (glass is heavy but almost worthless), outfall of the death of the newspaper industry, and reduction in packaging materials (thinner plastic bottles, movement from coffee cans to coffee bags). In the City of Seattle, they were paying about $50/ton to landfill trash in 2011. A city official said they were only working with Cedar Grove while the costs for recycle and compost were below that. The city is mentioned in the article for the addition of composting to its recycling program, and how this keeps more trash out of landfills.
a8da6b0c91d 11y ago
> The only real way to produce less waste is to consume less http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwcap_-9tuA&t=0m20s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwcap_-9tuA&t=0m20s Having only two kids and ending all immigration makes more sense. Population growth utterly dwarfs the impact of any feasible consumption reduction approaches.
pvaldes 11y ago
or package better...

andallas 11y ago

"...especially in America where we don't even sort our materials." I've lived an 7 states from coast to coast, north and south, and in all but 2 we sorted our materials. Just because it doesn't happen where you are from doesn't mean it's not happening everywhere else.

homulilly 11y ago
I'm curious how much sorting is the norm where you've been. Where I've lived "sorting" recycling has simply been one bin for glass and another for everything else which barely counts.

stephengillie 11y ago

This article discusses the problems that are created by "one-binning" our recycling: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/american-recycling-is-stalling-and-the-big-blue-bin-is-one-reason-why/2015/06/20/914735e4-1610-11e5-9ddc-e3353542100c_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/american-rec... The problems are mostly a collision of too much recycling, too much expectation for post-bin sorting, a disconnect about the value of recyclable materials (glass is heavy but almost worthless), outfall of the death of the newspaper industry, and reduction in packaging materials (thinner plastic bottles, movement from coffee cans to coffee bags). In the City of Seattle, they were paying about $50/ton to landfill trash in 2011. A city official said they were only working with Cedar Grove while the costs for recycle and compost were below that. The city is mentioned in the article for the addition of composting to its recycling program, and how this keeps more trash out of landfills.

a8da6b0c91d 11y ago

> The only real way to produce less waste is to consume less http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwcap_-9tuA&t=0m20s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwcap_-9tuA&t=0m20s Having only two kids and ending all immigration makes more sense. Population growth utterly dwarfs the impact of any feasible consumption reduction approaches.

pvaldes 11y ago

or package better...