What is the point of recycling? Is it to create less waste or to prevent further creation of waste by finding another use for recyclables instead of producing new materials?
In the first stance, single stream recycling sounds like the perfect idea to create less waste. To gather our recyclable discarded items together rather than have them join the landfills where they are incapable of decomposing. The ease of single stream recycling promotes recycling, in comparison to the idea of separation of recyclables practiced in many countries. It saves time and effort (as well as collection costs) with one container in comparison to one for newspaper, plastics, glass, etc. Participation and recovery of recyclables rates rises.
In the second stance, is single stream recycling compatible? By placing a variety of recyclables together, we end up downcycling the materials, especially paper. Why? When we place high quality office papers with other recyclables, due to the possibility of contamination, the high quality paper are recycled to cardboard or other low end uses. In fact, because the recyclables are indiscriminately dumped together, much of it is discarded into the landfill anyways due to contamination. Glass is still a major problem in single stream recycling.
A similar story is the high tech recycling. A 60 minute episode covered the shocking truth that many of our recycled technology ends up being picked apart in dangerous factories in China or third world countries by women and children for a meager salary everyday. Again, the material is being downcycled, from computer parts to mere ounces of copper metal. see http://www.green-talk.com/2008/11/11/60-minutes-reveals-the-ugly-side-of-recycling/
Pizza boxes are NOT recyclable. Once a pizza box is placed with other single stream recyclables, it renders the rest of the bin contaminated and non-recyclable. The cardboard itself is recyclable. The problem lies with the cheese and grease. Food is one of the worst contaminants for the paper recycling process. Unlike plastic and glass recycling, which uses heat, paper products are processed in water, and oil and water do not mix. Thus, all food related paper products are non-recyclable, such as used napkins and paper towels.http://earth911.com/news/2009/03/02/the-pizza-box-mystery/
What is the solution then? If single-stream recycling is discontinued, would people really recycle less? Is single stream recycling more cost-benefit or more eco-friendly?
Read “Single Stream Recycling Generates Debate”
No comments:
Post a Comment