I don't think it's fair to say recycling is "designed" to be "scam". In my city, the recycling program was designed to meet specific waste diversion goals. Th

I don't think it's fair to say recycling is "designed" to be "scam". In my city, the recycling program was designed to meet specific waste diversion goals. There is no empty land for new dumps within city limits, and the cost of shipping waste elsewhere is high. It's a rational economic decision. Yes, reducing world-wide air pollution would make a bigger difference. Sure, you might find some specific cities that are running recycling programs in an uneconomic way. And, if you feel like informing your coworkers that they aren't saving the earth, you're not lying to them. But recycling programs, by and large, are not a scam to make people feel better. They save money.