Plastic Recycling Down to 5%....

[Blansky]

Kind of sad to think of all the effort put into recycling and only about 5 percent of plastic is actually recycled.

Not sure on this but if I remember correctly a lot of it was shipped to China at one time but now they aren't accepting it.

Anyways....https://newatlas.com/environment/pla...tes-5-percent/

[superdog]

not surprised by this one bit.

[Mifune]

I blame the refuse companies...
if a recycling company wants me to do their work for them, they should offer compensation.

[chris_1001]

Not a shock at all. Lots of people I know have been arguing that recycling is the best things ever, I said its pretty much a scam.

Now I have proof.

I read only Aluminum cans are cost effective to recycle. Many years ago...

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by superdog

not surprised by this one bit.

Me neither.

Where I’m located they only have two different collections on a weekly basis. One for trash, and the next day for cardboard.

The US at least where I am located is woefully behind Germany which has separated their trash for decades.

I really don’t see how it can be done without more individuals doing their part.

[Dan Pierce]

Not only sad but unconscionable.
dP

[Gab27]

With all the problems in recycling plastics, I'm really hoping in the next few years we see more advancements in biodegradable plastics, and widespread industry adoption. But we definitely still have a ways to go. To my understanding, the best prospects for this now still necessitate industrial composting.

[brandrea]

As with most things, it’s possible with money and will.

Unfortunate and (agree with Dan) unconscionable.

[OYptL]

What’s done with it I haven’t a clue but some would argue that even if it is a scam recycling adds jobs. What do I know.

[uscmatt99]

I'm not at all a fan of unnecessary one time use plastics when alternatives exist. The problem is that they are exceedingly cheap to make, and conversely exceedingly expensive to get rid of in an environmentally ideal way. The alternatives are more expensive and either easily recycled, made from recycled products, or compostable. Take an Amazon package for instance. I've received identical items, sometimes in a paper envelope with cellulose padding, sometimes in "recyclable" plastic bubble envelopes. Unless the shipper is submerging my items, the plastic alternative is ridiculous. I am quite certain that even though I put it into the recycle bin, it gets put right in the landfill.

I don't have a good solution, but whatever it is will cost more than the status quo in the short run and people will gripe about it.

[VictorGMT]

Paper, wood, metal and glass are efficiently recyclable. The rest are just a feel-good scam, and negative economic impact.

And economic impact is the best scorecard we have.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by chris_1001

Not a shock at all. Lots of people I know have been arguing that recycling is the best things ever, I said its pretty much a scam.

Now I have proof.

I read only Aluminum cans are cost effective to recycle. Many years ago...

Despite all the effort, only 5% is recycled. That is a wake up call to change, not a scam, IMHO.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by uscmatt99

I'm not at all a fan of unnecessary one time use plastics when alternatives exist. The problem is that they are exceedingly cheap to make, and conversely exceedingly expensive to get rid of in an environmentally ideal way. The alternatives are more expensive and either easily recycled, made from recycled products, or compostable. Take an Amazon package for instance. I've received identical items, sometimes in a paper envelope with cellulose padding, sometimes in "recyclable" plastic bubble envelopes. Unless the shipper is submerging my items, the plastic alternative is ridiculous. I am quite certain that even though I put it into the recycle bin, it gets put right in the landfill.

I don't have a good solution, but whatever it is will cost more than the status quo in the short run and people will gripe about it.

One solution would be to remove the cheapness so that the negative impact is taken into account: tax single-use plastic that is not easily recycled.

[TheVTCGuy]

I saw this article the other day, a little bit of hope.

https://www.theguardian.com/environm...tists-discover

[uscmatt99]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

One solution would be to remove the cheapness so that the negative impact is taken into account: tax single-use plastic that is not easily recycled.

I'm not opposed to that as long as it's on the front end initially assessed to either the manufacturers or the shippers, and this is really in regard to packaging. Then it would be reflected in the price before sale. Imagine if plastic bottled water included a $1 per bottle tax/fee. The switch to alternative material bottling would happen in the blink of an eye. But I'm guessing that the plastics lobby has the ears of politicians on all sides of the aisle and this type of legislation would be watered down to nothing or simply die before reaching the floor for debate, here at least.

[TheVTCGuy]

I buy and use bamboo cutlery, convenient and environmentally friendly.

[walds11]

Originally Posted by chris_1001

Not a shock at all. Lots of people I know have been arguing that recycling is the best things ever, I said its pretty much a scam.

Now I have proof.

I read only Aluminum cans are cost effective to recycle. Many years ago...

Agreed!

I have been trying to drop recycling pickup from my trash disposal company. It can’t be done. Apparently, they must be compliant with all recycling mandates.

That has scam written all over it. They all need their loot!

[emersm]

Originally Posted by brandrea

As with most things, it’s possible with money and will.

Unfortunate and (agree with Dan) unconscionable.

^ this

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by brandrea

As with most things, it’s possible with money and will.

Unfortunate and (agree with Dan) unconscionable.

I guess I’m missing something. To be honest I didn’t read the article. The main reason because I view the problem to be a problem more because no one not just companies simply don’t do their part. We may not make the plastic but we surely don’t seem to care enough to take the time it requires to do anything about it which means we would at least have to separate our trash otherwise everything and I mean everything goes straight to the landfill. Not many people, well actually no one I know is complaining because they can’t separate their trash. This does include me by the way.

Just my take.

[dddrees]

By the way just took time to read the article. Yep, still drew the same conclusion. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Germany was at least making me separate my trash over 30 years ago. I wonder how they rate? Then again they have much less land than we do and you should she how they manage their trees and forests. Not to mention their houses and handing them down to their children.

As with anything taking care of something like taking care of the place we live takes effort. I saw that to an an extent when I was stationed in Germany I’ve yet to see that in the US.

[East Bay Rider]

It's disappointing to be sure that the effort is wasted. My dog and I have a routine each morning where I take and break down the previous day's recycling while he sniffs around the yard and does his business. I've been commenting for years about all the plastic used in ordinary purchases like electronics or groceries. Seems like every cardboard product box contains some kind of thin plastic liner. Deli meat from the market used to come wrapped in paper now it's in a plastic bag. You can break down your cardboard boxes well enough but again the tape is plastic and the shipping label often comes in a plastic sheath. Frozen vegetables come in plastic bags. There's thin plastic sheating under the lid of an ice cream carton. The plastic rings that keep our soda bottles together haven't changed in 50 years.
I was a kid in the 70's and 80's and I remember the big publicity push around banning the Styrofoam containers used for fast food. It's 40 years later and there are leftovers in my refrigerator seemingly contained by the same material. Back in the late 80's "they" forced the plastic shopping bags upon us in the name of saving the trees. Remember being asked "paper or plastic" at the checkout while they implemented the change? The new formula bags were supposed to break down in UV light. They didn't. Instead they choked wildlife.
Long story short it's disappointing to read that although I'm putting in the effort to separate and break down the recyclables generated by my family once they leave my yard all responsible care ceases.

[Kinnakeet]

In Canada we only get 1 garbage pick up each month, but 2 recycling pick ups, food scraps are recycled as there are no disposals. It’s somewhat cumbersome. Have to use a special bag with the recycled items. Biodegradable. The stores also charge 5 cents for a plastic bag.

In Florida we get 2 garbage pick ups each week and one recycling. Sometimes when the recycling is missed I notice it’s just thrown in with the regular rubbish. I doubt any of its recycled. Some don’t even bother.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by dddrees

By the way just took time to read the article. Yep, still drew the same conclusion. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Germany was at least making me separate my trash over 30 years ago. I wonder how they rate? Then again they have much less land than we do and you should she how they manage their trees and forests. Not to mention their houses and handing them down to their children.

As with anything taking care of something like taking care of the place we live takes effort. I saw that to an an extent when I was stationed in Germany I’ve yet to see that in the US.

That was kind of the point of my post.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Kinnakeet

In Canada we only get 1 garbage pick up each month, but 2 recycling pick ups, food scraps are recycled as there are no disposals. It’s somewhat cumbersome. Have to use a special bag with the recycled items. Biodegradable. The stores also charge 5 cents for a plastic bag.

In Florida we get 2 garbage pick ups each week and one recycling. Sometimes when the recycling is missed I notice it’s just thrown in with the regular rubbish. I doubt any of its recycled. Some don’t even bother.

It must depend where you live Michelle.

Here we get garbage pick up every other week. Our family of four generates 1 full garbage bag per week and that’s with two teenagers.

Recycling is every week. We generate 2 10 gallon bins per week, one plastic, one paper and cardboard.

It’s no big deal at all to sort your recycling.

[1William]

The concept of recycling is a good one. The problem is the economics behind the execution of programs are at best suspect. In my area the local municipality spends millions beyond what can be recovered through recycling and ends up dumping a majority into a landfill anyway. It is a political process right now as they are willing to use tax dollars for a fell good program that does not achieve the goals set forth. It comes down to money and while government is willing to spend for programs that do not work, private business, that is profit based, typically will not. As we move forward with discussions about recycling it would be interesting to actually look at the issues for the world we live in, not the world we wish we had. Same with Electric Vehicles and solar power but that is another thread.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by 1William

The concept of recycling is a good one. The problem is the economics behind the execution of programs are at best suspect. In my area the local municipality spends millions beyond what can be recovered through recycling and ends up dumping a majority into a landfill anyway. It is a political process right now as they are willing to use tax dollars for a fell good program that does not achieve the goals set forth. It comes down to money and while government is willing to spend for programs that do not work, private business, that is profit based, typically will not. As we move forward with discussions about recycling it would be interesting to actually look at the issues for the world we live in, not the world we wish we had. Same with Electric Vehicles and solar power but that is another thread.

While I don’t entirely disagree with you, there are reasons to also be optimistic. There are pros and cons as with almost everything.

The report is long and arduous but worth reading, and yes it’s one sided

https://www.epa.gov/smm/recycling-ec...ion-rei-report

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by brandrea

That was kind of the point of my post.

[Ruddiger]

Howdy,

I know this sounds awful to say, but I’m quite sick of recycling. It’s such a colossal scam knowing that the vast majority of it goes right into a landfill anyways.

I think the biggest salt in the wounds for me is 50 years of guilt tripping the consumer, basically saying that if only I did better as a consumer, the problem would go away. Meanwhile, corporations gleefully produced products we have no choice but to buy with plastic that they have no intention of recycling in the first place.

Then, to add insult to injury, they expect me to sort it so they can cherry pick the items they can turn a quick buck on before dumping the rest in Mother Earth. It’s all so ridiculous.

Take care,

Ruddiger

[austinp]

Waste Management picks up my recycling weekly. One large bin for plastic, paper and cardboard all together. On their website it says they separate it at their facility. It looks like the breakdown happens after that with what to do with the bulk materials. They used to sell to china but china banned a few years ago.

I actually think the public has come a long way recycling. It looks like we still need to figure out how to use the recycled material efficiently.


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[Blansky]

I don't know too much about other parts of the country with regards to separating their garbage but in CA for I think about 10-15 years at least we've had 3 cans. Trash, recycle and garden/tree waste. And I think most people do their part in doing the separating.

The problem is seems is that while we think we're doing right on our end, in actuality there is not enough of a market or a will from anyone to recycle the plastic to other uses. So it just goes to the resorting site and gets put into the garbage pile.

I guess the answer is nail the manufacturer of the products and if they make it, they have to have the ability to remake it into something else after initial use. I think we were playing games before and shipping it off the China and third world countries and saying here, you get rid of our garbage. And China finally said no.

We had to remove our grass because of water issues in CA and we bought maybe 20 plants from various places and the plastic containers that they come in aren't even recyclable. Millions of plastic pots that are made and sold every day, and the plastic is not even a recyclable product. WTF.

A garden hose is not recyclable. So many plastics and rubber are not recyclable. If you look at the guidelines from your garbage pickup companies and you'll see so many of the plastics and other extremely common products produced in the billions of quantities are NOT recyclable.