- Why are you showing this video on a blog that is supposed to promote positive solutions?
- Is recycling a lie?
- What am I supposed to do now?
To answer the first question: I am providing this information because I do want people to make positive and environmentally friendly changes. However, I do not want people to just blindly do what they are told because that usually makes things worse.
Make EDUCATED positive changes!
Don’t just throw any old thing into the recycling bin thinking that eventually it will be sorted by someone and recycled. Know what is actually recycled in your area and what is not. Know that just because some things are titled, “recyclable” doesn’t actually mean that it is better for the environment to do so.
Secondly, I don’t know if recycling is a lie or not. What I do know is that when something is a huge money maker, people will stop at nothing to protect the profit. Here is what I believe:
- Paper takes more energy and produces more toxins to recycle than to make new.
- Aluminum is a great recyclable product!
- Glass is infinity recyclable but it is preferred to reuse it instead.
- PLASTIC IS UNNECESSARY AND EVIL in most cases.
There are only two types of plastics that are READILY recyclable in the US, PETE and HDPE (these are the ones with a 1 or 2 on the bottom). Plastics 3-7 are mostly shipped to China or Taiwan for recycling or incinerating there.
So, how the heck do I know what type of plastic I have? Look on the bottom, there will be the recycling logo and a number in the middle. Here is a table you can reference as well:
|
Resin Code |
Definition |
Use |
% of plastic 1 |
|
|
PETE (or PET) = polyethylene terephthalate |
Soda and water bottles, medicine containers |
0.5% |
|
|
HDPE = high density polyethylene |
Milk and water bottles, laundry detergent bottles, toys |
21% |
|
|
V = vinyl/polyvinyl chloride (PVC) |
Pipe, meat wrap, cooking oil bottles |
6.5% |
|
|
LDPE – low density polyethylene |
Wrapping films, grocery bags |
27% |
|
|
PP = polypropylene |
Syrup bottles, yogurt tubs, diapers |
16% |
|
|
PS = polystyrene |
Coffee cups, “clamshells” |
16% |
|
|
OTHER = ? |
|
8.5% |
Check out this website for more info on plastic recycling…Resin Identification Code.
I don’t have to remind you that the supply and demand of plastics also puts us further into foreign oil dependency.
Finally, for the 3rd question, “What do we do now?” Which also brings me to my job, promoting positive change.
How about instead of recycling, we just quit buying so much disposable crap? That’s right I said it, “QUIT SHOPPING SO MUCH!” In other words make conscious decisions about the products we spend our money on.
My dollar is my voice.
MY DOLLAR IS MY VOICE.
Remember back in high school economics when we discussed, Supply and Demand? Well, right now Americans are ADDICTED to CHEAP CRAP. We buy literally TONS of it. This causes a demand for cheap crap. So, the Big Box Marts must keep a supply of cheap crap. We have become a culture of cheap crap enthusiasts.
I have one more video that I would like you to watch. It’s called, The Story of Stuff. If you don’t want to watch it now that’s ok, I have added it to my links on the sidebar so you can come back later.The Story of Stuff shows much better than I can the journey that our products take from mining the materials to make them to the landfill. It is hosted by Annie Leonard and she has put in 10 years of research on the subject! I was crying by the end of it. Why you ask?
I have always known in the back of my mind, just like you have, that all this cheap crap was too good to be true. That someone had to pay for it somewhere. As long as that someone wasn’t me I didn’t care. Well, I care now because I DO pay. Maybe not with my wallet but with my environment and conscience.
Here are the biggest positive changes I have made so far:
- I no longer just throw stuff in the bin because “they” tell me to.
- I have called my local landfills and asked where this stuff actually goes.
- I re-use as much stuff as I can and in ways that are permanent not in ways that just postpone the inevitable trip to the landfill.
- I have also begun to reform my consuming habits.
Wast management experts use what is called a “waste heirarchy” Here is a copy for you:
In conclusion, there is an order to things. We should 1st prevent and minimize too much waste by not buying too much stuff, 2nd reuse what we can, and THEN 3rdly recycle what we cannot, and on down the line. Buy local as much as possible, buy quality products from environmentally responsible companies, do not support the Big Box Marts. Remember, your dollar is your voice!
Now, let’s get sprouting!
References and other suggested readings:
Fisk, Umbra. On Exporting Our Recycling
Wonk, Tommy. Recycling “Myths” Refuted
Waste Online, Glass Recycling Information Sheet
Copyright © 2008 Word Sprout
July 26, 2008 at 12:40 am
http://dummidumbwit.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/twin-groves-wind-farm-ellsworth-illinois/
Functioning wind farm in Illinois
July 26, 2008 at 12:47 am
Great post. Thanks!
July 26, 2008 at 3:42 am
Interesting post – I’ve never seen that episode of “Bullshit” before. After reading your post and watching the first few minutes, I’m suckered in. Good blog, I’ll add you to my reader, but you gave me food for throught.
July 26, 2008 at 4:25 am
Just watched the full video.
Ok, there were LOTS of logical fallacies and errors in the video – especially the false dilemma everywhere (sometimes called the fallacy of the excluded middle). I think the biggest take away if you watch the whole video was the one fact that you could look up if you wanted. Americans produce 220 Million tonnes of trash a year (if you look it up you’ll find lots of different numbers and most of them are higher.)
220 Million tonnes.
The mantra of the green movement has been Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. I think they chose that order for a reason and a good one. Buy less stuff, reuse the stuff you buy whenever you can (and focus on buying things you can reuse) and then recycle what you absolutely have to throw away. I don’t care how convincing Penn & Teller think they are, there is NO WAY that it makes more sense to throw away 220 million tonnes of ANYTHING that it does to try to find ways to use it again. Maybe the current recycling infrastructure has problems, maybe there are better way to do things. But if they think that because the system isn’t perfect, the answer is to just pretend there’s no reason to do anything, that we should still focus on consumption, focus on participating in a consume and dispose economy – they’re wrong.
Sorry guys, that episode was lazy, poorly argued, and in your words, bullshit.
July 26, 2008 at 4:46 am
I agree with you, Nicolas and normally I wouldn’t use Penn and Teller for an argument against anything! They use a lot of fluff, exaggeration and cursing to get their points across.
I merely liked the fact that it was a critical thinking piece and got me to actually think about recycling and actually research it. I think that if it does indeed cost our local governments more to recycle that it is the price we pay for good stewardship!
Every system has problems, but I think you hit the nail on the head when you said, “there is NO WAY that it makes more sense to throw away 220 million tonnes of ANYTHING that it does to try to find ways to use it again”.
Thanks for sprouting!