[AF] environmental concerns

[Mike Vanhooser]

This is because it is more expensive to recycle most substances than to make new product.  Aluminum is profitable to recycle, glass just about breaks even, and everything else is generally a negative cost, either in direct, secondary or tertiary costs.  This is why many cities have abandoned recycling, as it has become a major expense rather than a cost savings.  And as trash collection in the US is as thorough and efficient as it is, we do not have the problems with large amounts of garbage flowing into our rivers and then out to sea, as do areas of Africa, South America and the Far East, which accounts for around 90% of the plastic which ends up in the oceans.  This is why such stupidity as banning plastic straws is a totally meaningless virtue-signalling proposition, and is the equivalent of urinating into an approaching air mass.

Here are some analyses of recycling programs.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a3757/4291576/
http://www.english.umd.edu/interpolations/2601

On Sunday, August 25, 2019, 9:46:01 AM CDT, Bob Barnswatts via AF <af at radiolists.net> wrote:

I agree we should use recycled items.  City of Houston was recently
caught by news people dumping the recycle trucks in the landfill.  I had
also heard of this happening in other places.  A person goes to all the
work to recycle and its all a farce in the end.

On 8/22/2019 10:27 AM, Mike McCarthy via AF wrote:
>
> More over, we as a county need to actively adopt the use of recycled
> plastics and paper even if they're not the brightest white. And to
> encourage businesses to return home their recycling efforts from China and
> abroad.
>