The $64k question is where the bin labeled “recyclable” really ends up. If what’s in the blue bin really ends up in the same landfill as the contents of the gray one it doesnt really matter if the homeowner bothers to separate everything. My guess is it depends on where in the country you are, and how overworked the drivers and other staff happen to be at the moment.
I think that's the point isn't it? We don't know what the rates are, first of boxes sent for recycling and second, of those, how many actually get recycled.
It all gets complicated really quickly, and I don't suppose anyone is actually keeping count. So we can never really know...
Well there's this article.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/12/1081129/plastic-recycling-climate-change-microplastics/
My own observations (while limited) are that people shove all kinds of plastic in their recycle box with no clue as to what the city will accept. I have seen styrofoam trays ( I have had discussions with neighbors about that one), plastic parts from toys and even tupperware put into recycle bins.
I don't think that anyone is at the local depot doing a manual sort to keep the non-recyclables out. But I bet that when a sufficiently contaminated load is delivered to the recycling depot that it is re-routed to the landfill.
Recycling is nice and it's easy to feel good about it, but there is a reason that it is the 3rd 'R'. It's the least effective; probably (at least in part) because it relies on too many people doing the right thing and it still uses lots of resources even when they do.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/12/1081129/plastic-recycling-climate-change-microplastics/
My own observations (while limited) are that people shove all kinds of plastic in their recycle box with no clue as to what the city will accept. I have seen styrofoam trays ( I have had discussions with neighbors about that one), plastic parts from toys and even tupperware put into recycle bins.
I don't think that anyone is at the local depot doing a manual sort to keep the non-recyclables out. But I bet that when a sufficiently contaminated load is delivered to the recycling depot that it is re-routed to the landfill.
Recycling is nice and it's easy to feel good about it, but there is a reason that it is the 3rd 'R'. It's the least effective; probably (at least in part) because it relies on too many people doing the right thing and it still uses lots of resources even when they do.
@classicalfan - A link to some older data below ... but it should be generally speaking... 'unbiased'. There are tons of studies... all get generally to the same point. I chose this one b/c at least its from the EPA and not an industry trade group trying to skew things toward their own agenda. (Note - I fully understand that the EPA has an agenda also... but... 🙂)
It's not a 'farce', but we as Americans don't do a great job... or at least as good a job as I'd like us to do.
Again... one more time with feeling... recycling in the USA is a commercial enterprise. The VAST majority of the time, it's cheaper to use virgin materials.
https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figur...and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data
"The recycling rate of PET bottles and jars was 29.1 percent in 2018, and the rate for HDPE natural bottles was 29.3 percent in 2018."
Edited to fix format due to posts that came in after mine that I missed.
It's not a 'farce', but we as Americans don't do a great job... or at least as good a job as I'd like us to do.
Again... one more time with feeling... recycling in the USA is a commercial enterprise. The VAST majority of the time, it's cheaper to use virgin materials.
https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figur...and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data
"The recycling rate of PET bottles and jars was 29.1 percent in 2018, and the rate for HDPE natural bottles was 29.3 percent in 2018."
Edited to fix format due to posts that came in after mine that I missed.
A much more accurate water analogy for this situation would be "it's just a drop in the bucket".
Let's look at the real numbers. Costco is claiming that an additional 1,000 truck trips per year to their chain of stores is required to supply them with the empty chicken box containers compare to bags. I think that number is probably about right based on my own analysis. But it pales in comparison to the total number of truck trips per year needed to supply everything to the stores.
There are about 600 Costco stores and I think it is reasonable to assume that shoppers buy and remove at least two truckloads of merchandise per day. It's probably even more than that, but let's say it's at least two. So, there have to be at 363 x 2 x 600 = 435,600 truck trips to all of the Costco stores per year.
In essence, we are talking about reducing the truck trips by 0.22 %. A trivial amount. And it's probably even less than that since my assumption about shoppers buying two truckloads a day from Costco is probably low. It could be much more than that.
Finally, there is the matter that the plastics bags are not recyclable whereas the boxes are.
If you are concerned about the environment then chicken boxes are certainly the better answer.
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soundchaser and ItsAllInMyHead,
I've read the articles you both referenced and I'm sure that the various recycling programs are far from perfect. But that's up to government to fix. There is nothing I can do about it.
So, my responsibility as I see it is to still recycle as much as possible. Because the alternative of increasing waste in the various toxic landfill dumps is even worse.
I've read the articles you both referenced and I'm sure that the various recycling programs are far from perfect. But that's up to government to fix. There is nothing I can do about it.
So, my responsibility as I see it is to still recycle as much as possible. Because the alternative of increasing waste in the various toxic landfill dumps is even worse.
May be of interest
https://lomborg.com/false-alarm
A voice that goes against the grain and stands out from the crowd.
https://lomborg.com/false-alarm
A voice that goes against the grain and stands out from the crowd.
I wonder what substance there actually is. I guess he's got to get paid in order for people to find out.
Harsh I think. He puts the time and effort into writing & researching, I don't know why he shouldn't get paid for it. You can buy "false alarm" for £4 on kindle (other options are available, including tree based media) and find out. I'm saying no more because to do so would inevitably force the thread into 'politics' and the 'ban-hammer that follows'.
But buy the book and see what he's saying...