Do you recycle?

[Gothic Sponge]

I always recycle.

[demnan]

1. I'd like to

but I'm sure that the items I put out to recycle, like newspapers, go right in with the rest of the trash.

[jdj]

6. prob. not

Where I used to live on the river there was a company that did nothing but take used paper and sell it to the big co's like Kim clark, proc. gamble etc.

They didn't serve the public, they just were where the recycling companies took their paper to either sell it or give it (not sure).

They make stuff like paperboard cereal boxes with it.

There was a scandal in my old town about it 'cause the truck that picked up trash in some neighborhoods had compartments for recycl. in the trash compartment, people would see the man put their recyl. stuff in the back of the garbage truck and think he was throwin it away. This really is a better way to do it, rather than run two trucks on the same route, saves tons of gas, but people just wouldn't get it, and kept complaining, so the newspaper had to do an article about how the trucks were layed out. And cities are really trying to keep trash out of the landfills, my little hick community is giving away $75 a month to the family that recycles the best, and they are giving away a $500 a year prize. Anything like alum. cans they make money off of, even though they may not pay you.

New York quit recycling to "save money" but then they started right back up later that year, because they realized it was cheaper, though not free, to have people recycle than to have to process and bury all that garbage.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. Always

I looked into our system. It's legit. They actually recycle all glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper. Every shred of paper, glass, aluminum, and PET goes into the bin.
The Professor

[Tesibria]

3. aluminum cans only

... it is my understanding that recycling of paper, plastic and other such items actually (a) consumes more energy and (b) creates more pollution than making new. While popular to do so, it makes no sense to me to recycle if such activity actually harms the environment and consumes more energy.

[Warpy]

4. Depends on how you look at it

Don't forget every ton or so of wood pulp from recycled paper preserves the equivalent amount in wood. Also, because it's already pulped, pressed and dried, it's much easier to turn back into pulp.

Recycled pulp does need extra bleaching, though, to get rid of inks.

I think when you consider the energy involved in logging, trucking, chipping, pulping, bleaching, and drying that recycled pulp would come out about even. When the first 3 steps are omitted, then recycling might seem more expensive, since it requires pickup, sorting, trucking, and then repulping.

[jdj]

7. not true.

not even logical.

you do know that paper comes from trees don't you?

[Tesibria]

9. yes ...

and that 90% of paper in US comes from tree farms, not from virgin farms.

Potatoes come from potato plants, usually grown on potato farms too.


On Edit: A funny show -- with lots of references to respected LEFT and RIGHT "experts" -- discussing recycling was on Penn & Teller this past season. For details see summary of show

[jdj]

11. Penn and Teller?

come on.

they are reactionaries who broke the mold.


what is a "virgin farm"? does this have to do with terrorism?

[Tesibria]

14. ok

.. their show is reactionary .. agreed. They cited to LEFT and RIGHT studies by multiple groups demonstrating the facts. AT THE TIME, I was so surprised, I didn't believe them so looked up the studies. They had not misrepresented the studies. I went to the link to see if they still had the list of studies, but couldn't find it today. I did find it then -- and the basic points ...

==recycling process uses more energy than nonrecycling process
==recycling process creates more pollution than nonrecycling process (i.e., harms the environment)

... were well documented.

Thanx for catching the "virgin farm" thing -- I MEANT "virgin forests." I.e., yes, chopping down all the trees in the rainforests is a terrible thing. It should be stopped. That's not where our paper here in the US is coming from -- and we could recycle every sheet/piece of paper product consumed in the US, and it still won't stop the rainforest desecration.

[jdj]

18. what I always look for is who funded said studies and why

everything in this country is partisan at this point, and
when you talk about resources and energy those terms are way too vague as they have to do with values and partisan motives and whatever numbers are used can be manipulated any number of ways.

I personally think that not recycling is a "sin" against the earth, if you wish. To me it is not right to put someting in the ground that is potentially toxic and indestructible when it could be recycled. Landfills are an atrocious waste of land, and seethe with toxic subtances.

I will never be convinced by any number of right-wing think tanks with "American", "Strategic", "Institute", "Heritage" or some other such jinoistic three for four syllable montage of monikers that recycling is somehow less efficient than just allowing corporate thugs to gang-rape the earth just because they want to. Consider the source, always.

[Tesibria]

21. I agree -- that with all of these studies and all studies

generally... you have to start with the source.

I wish I still had the documents, but I didn't save them. But what I recall is that they were from both "left - environmental" thinktanks, etc. and "right - business" thinktanks, etc.

that being said, until I can find that info and get links to it ... i'll just have to wait (again!)

[Tesibria]

16. i should clarify that

... i believe we SHOULD do our part to protect the environment.

I don't own a car -- I walk most places; take cabs when distance is too long. On business trips, I rent the smallest car with the best gas mileage available.

I have made my office 90% paperless. I work not to USE paper rather than to use it and then recycle (or not). A big part of my job is to help companies move to more paperless systems.

I turn off my lights when I leave the room, and use low wattage bulbs to reduce energy usage. My appliances are all "energysaver" rated. I don't use hair dryers or curlers.

I buy in bulk at every chance to reduce packaging. I bring my own bags to shop and don't let Victorias Secret waste all that paper wrapping up the products. (I do, however, insist on Charmin toilet paper. I refuse to use that scratcy stuff. We all have our weaknesses, I guess)

So -- I absolutely believe that we need to do more to preserve (and fix) our environment and our world. I just think that we need to consume less, not consume the same and assauge our guilt by recycling what we've consumed -- given the evidence that (other than aluminum), there is no net environmental gain from recycling.

[jdj]

19. yes, I heard someone (Alicia Siverstone???) say once that

people focus way too much on the fourth R, instead of the first three

the first one is "rethink"

Actually I think it was Julia Butterfly Hill.

Sounds like you are doing alot of Re-thinking.
The others are
then Reduce, then Re-use
Then RECYCLE as a last resort.

[Tesibria]

20. :)

we can agree on that for sure!!
:) :) :) :) :)

[crispini]

5. Our recycling program is great.

We have curbside for newspapers and for cans & plastics. I save cardboard and take it to the nearby bin. We have twice weekly trash pickup too but I don't even NEED it.

But it's MUCH easier to recycle now I have a house, and more space. When I was in an apartment, you had to save everything and then go take it somewhere. HUGE pain in the ass, IMO.

[Left Is Write]

8. Yes, but they don't take glass here.

We can recycle aluminum cans, plastic beverage bottles and some other plastics, cardboard food boxes, corrugated cardboard, newspapers, magazines, ad circulars, and junk mail, but they won't take glass.

[Minstrel Boy]

10. Toronto has a great program

Blue box for plastic and metals
Grey box for paper and cardboard products
Green bin for organic waste

[Tracer]

12. There is no trash pickup in my town.

If you want your trash taken away from the end of your driveway, you have to hire a private firm.

The other alternative is the Town Dump. It has a large and very well organized recycling center for plastics, newspapers, metal, glass Ñ as well as a popular "Put and Take" section.

The town sells special plastic bags at $1.50 a pop for non-recycleables.

The dump is a popular place on Saturday mornings.

[HuskerDem]

13. Not as much as I should

How's that for honesty?

[Minimus]

15. Yes, but I'm beginning to wonder why.

Don't mind me, I'm still feeling cynical about where my country is heading.

I know I will continue to recycle and try to make a difference in my little corner of the world.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

17. I'm a familiar face at the recyclers.

Where I haul the debris from what weather does to all the fir trees (hundereds) on our 3 acres. They transform it into barkdust and mulch at an affordable price (about $5 per load in my small Toyota pickup). Good exercise, nice people, and it doesn't pollute the air with smoke like burning it does.

And, they sell the barkdust and mulch cheap.

[troubleinwinter]

22. We are REQUIRED to in our No. Calif. county

The trash company gives us two cans. One for garbage, the other for cans, bottles, paper, cardboard, plastic. They then separate the recyclables.

[sherilocks]

23. I always recycle and I know it's legit

We have four pickups here. One for all recyclables, one for organic waste like weeds and tree limbs, and two for household garbage and furniture, appliances,etc. There is a place to go with poisonous type stuff. I use all. The trash companies get hefty fines for dumping the wrong waste in the wrong place.

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. I used to, until the recycling guy told me that they were going to the

same place as the garbage. :hi: I recycle for personal use though.

[sweetheart]

25. Economic expediency

In rural areas, the fuel of re-transporting recyclables
is more energy waste than burning, composting and local
disposal. If wastage companies bought garbage collection
rights on ebay, and you got paid to deliver separated
stuff, i'm sure it would be done already. If that
problem is to be sorted, simply mutate the economic
value of garbage, by providing a market.

It takes work (time) to separate garbage, and why
should "economic man/woman" waste valuable time
when it is not economic?

I go down to the stony rock beach, and there are
hundreds of plastic bottle containers thrown
overboard by passing ships, russian, polish
food containers from the crews of tankers.
What a cynical world dumps garbage en-masse at sea
and then asks me to separate bottles.