Is recycling actually bad for the environment and economy?

[Nakura Chambers]

It's an older video, but it really tears apart the recycling movement. Basically, they look the supposed positives of recycling and destroy each one with statistics on how recycling actually has a negative impact on the environment and on the economy. They do point out that recycling some items (such as aluminum) is positive though.

What do you guys think of the video? Is recycling (except for in some cases) actually worthless or even a bad thing?

[Nadiru]

Recycling is the least efficient waste reducer, by a long margin. There's an irony there, given how pious people can get about recycling. Gotta burn more coal to recycle plastics to burn more coal to make new plastics from the recycled stuff to burn more coal to recycle plastics...

[Afrospinach]

What do you guys think of the video? Is recycling (except for in some cases) actually worthless or even a bad thing?

Can't watch the video but yes, aluminium and glass? are standouts for recycling. Aluminium is smelted by electrolysis to start with which is very energy intensive, and notably these two things can be recycled ad infinitum. Alu cans have a lacquer on the inside though to stop your coke eating it's way to freedom, AFAIK though all that sludge and paint etc that is not aluminium make some kind of useful byproduct.

Some plastics are basically 100% recyclable too, but in general the idea IS oversold. To me though that means we need better usage of materials and better recycling methods, it does not mean we should go back to the comfort landfill mentality.

[Deleted]

Simplified, "experts", didn't see any statistics (skipped a little), under statements on actual production and over statements on actual recycling...

It is entertai-cation (new word, trademarked), and I wouldn't trust either side, from this video. But alas, I guess going through thousand page reports on a topic is too much to ask, the lazy youth of today! /shakewrist

[Furtim]

By way of a direct counterpoint; but it agrees on one point - Recycling *is* bad for the economy, the video explains very clearly why -

[Deleted]

It's an older video, but it really tears apart the recycling movement. Basically, they look the supposed positives of recycling and destroy each one with statistics on how recycling actually has a negative impact on the environment and on the economy. They do point out that recycling some items (such as aluminum) is positive though.

What do you guys think of the video? Is recycling (except for in some cases) actually worthless or even a bad thing?

So what would you suggest for the bags currently in circulation? Landfill?
Here in the UK, a government levy is in place which means that plastic bags now cost 5 pence each if you wish to use them for your shopping. I support this purely for the reason that it dissuades customers from using them to some extent, even though it also allows the government to line their pockets.
The best solution would be to outlaw plastic carrier bags completely. Ban production of them and move over to using reusable hemp or linen bags.
Of course, these bags would cost a little more; closer to 20-50 pence per bag, but they would be stronger, significantly more reusable and completely biodegradable, making landfill a far more attractive option when the bags come to the end of their life.

- - - Updated - - -

It is entertai-cation

Edutainment

[DrIvoRobotnik]

-snip-

Oh man, the shear amount of bull that video full of. It is actually dizzying. All of her examples are filled with exaggeration, assumptions, flawed analogies, subjective based views and experiences, and in some cases out right lies. What a headache.

[Independent voter]

In the early days of recycling there were a lot of problems. I remember one problem is that there was no market for the recycled items. A lot of problems have been fixed.

[drwelfare]

I recycle lots of metal, but there is money in it.

$7.50/100 pounds for steel and price is down
$30/2000 pounds for cardboard, its not worth messing with

[Deleted]

I think recycling is better now than it used to be. It's probably a net positive overall, but... possibly with the amount of effort that gets put into enforcing it, it could be better spent elsewhere for a bigger gain. Then again, it's one of those things that lets middle class white people feel good about themselves - either because "look at me I always recycle" or "Look at me, I'm so cool because i never recycle because I only care about myself"

[Mayhem]

yeah... stop recycling, i want to be able to walk across the oceans, not there yet

http://news.sciencemag.org/environme...ic-there-ocean

yet

[Dezerte]

I can believe that it's almost definitely bad for the economy short-term.

[Noomz]

It's an older video, but it really tears apart the recycling movement. Basically, they look the supposed positives of recycling and destroy each one with statistics on how recycling actually has a negative impact on the environment and on the economy. They do point out that recycling some items (such as aluminum) is positive though.

What do you guys think of the video? Is recycling (except for in some cases) actually worthless or even a bad thing?

The one thign that it helps is to maintain the amount of resources we have to refresh, I suppose. Instead of needing new oil for more plastic, you can use the old plastic. Instead of mining more aluminium you can recycle that which we already have. That kind of thing.
It's wastefull to not use the things we've already made, very wastefull.

[mvaliz]

I've often theorized that if youtube existed during the 1860s - there would be tons of videos explaining why abolishing slavery would somehow be "Bad for the economy and bad for you" by saying how many plantations costs would rise now having to pay employees and how many plantations would shut down whole communities of workers.

Bullspit is Bullspit, no mater how yous spin it.

[Mellrod]

By way of a direct counterpoint; but it agrees on one point - Recycling *is* bad for the economy, the video explains very clearly why -

I've seen that video before. She is a pretty biased person, so I take her words with a grain of salt.

[Gheld]

Story of stuff loses all credibility with me when it starts spouting BS about planned obsolescence in computer components. Because anybody who follows PC tech to the slightest degree knows that it's because interfaces have to keep changing to keep up with the evolution and advancement of various components and thus of fucking course you can't plug an old fucking IDE hard drive into your brand new computer, because it would be a waste of time, money, space, and the planets precious resources to put an IDE connector on a motherboard when SATA is quicker and more compact than IDE (and due to smaller connector sizes requires less resources).

So yeah, your old CPU is also incompatible with 1600 pin connectors because you didn't require thousands of pins connecting CPU's to the motherboard 20 years ago. Fuck you story of stuff.

But yeah, recycling plastics might be a hit and miss process, but the fact is manufacturing new plastics requires oil, and oil is a non renewable resource. So even if it's shitty for the environment, it will save your children from enduring world war 3 by saving on oil.

[Mayhem]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence

i don´t understand what´s so hard to believe about it when it´s been around at least as an idea for 80 years and been proven to exist

planned obsolescence is part of capitalism

[Deleted]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence

i don´t understand what´s so hard to believe about it when it´s been around at least as an idea for 80 years and been proven to exist

planned obsolescence is part of capitalism

It's not as widespread as people make out though (at least in some cases). The CPU pin thing is a good example. It would make no sense for motherboards and CPUs to all be built Socket 1155 just so that one day when we have ivybridge i7s, we will be able to use our motherboards from the 90's. The technology isn't even in place at that point in most cases. Some people see that as like "See, motherboard/cpu manufacturer conspiracy to make you have to keep replacing one every time you replace the other!" but it's just a natural part of the way componants made by different manufacturers (hell, even when it's the same manufacturer but at least one product is evolving) interface with each other.

[Mayhem]

It's not as widespread as people make out though (at least in some cases). The CPU pin thing is a good example. It would make no sense for motherboards and CPUs to all be built Socket 1155 just so that one day when we have ivybridge i7s, we will be able to use our motherboards from the 90's. The technology isn't even in place at that point in most cases. Some people see that as like "See, motherboard/cpu manufacturer conspiracy to make you have to keep replacing one every time you replace the other!" but it's just a natural part of the way componants made by different manufacturers (hell, even when it's the same manufacturer but at least one product is evolving) interface with each other.

yes it depends on the technology or area you´re talking about, i haven´t denied that

[Deleted]

yes it depends on the technology or area you´re talking about, i haven´t denied that

He did specifically mention...

spouting BS about planned obsolescence in computer components

... though, so was talking specifically about pc parts in this case (I assume your reply was to him?)