Recycling....Bullshit?

I posted about this in the recycling forum, but got no replies. I think it deserves discussion.....

Ever watch Penn and Teller: BULLSHIT? They did an episode about recycling, and debunked every known benifet of recycling. They found that the only instance where it's beneficial is with aluminum cans. They even showed evidence that says that modern landfills are better for the environment than recycling. They went to one landfill that utilizes the methane gas, produced by decomposition, to power more than 60,000 homes.

Here's the thread with video of the episode.
http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=446000&f=622
What say you?

 

re-use is the best

it uses no extra energy processing stuff

people throw out stuff that is still good for so many other things

 

X2 on the re-use...

 

"Up-cycle"

:2thumbsup:

 

Metals all must be recycled, if humanity is to continue to prosper.

Unless they debunked the myth that the planet is finite.

Then, things like motor oil can be recycled, and are also finite resources, and require much less processing the second time around.

 

Recycling is not bullshit. The process on how the bottles are actually recycled may not be the perfect, but it is a much better direction than what we had before by throwing everything out.

Their should be a sign in front of every coffee house...'bring your own cup, my company is tired of spending money on un-needed paper cups you use for 20 mins'.....

 

Haha. Penn's a libertarian and it shows. I love that show.

I think we really should just focus more on making less trash. More biodegradable stuff.

I'm sure they might have left a couple other good points out about recycling, but they really hit the nail on the head.

I loved their episode on religion.

 

i had no idea there was a recycling forum.

hell yes recycling cans is beneficial. they pay you pretty decent money for that. hell, i've even seen junkies break into places just to steal cans for the recycling money.

 

the metal is still here

they'll just have to mine dumps for it instead

they have lost some in space though

 

The only reason why there's money in it is because we sell it to China.

I think it's our 3rd highest export.

 

Ok, OP needs to be a little more specific.
On that show they were actually talking about two different aspects of recycling, waste accumulation and energy usage.
Bottom line is it actually takes more energy to recycle plastic (water bottles mainly) then it does to create new water bottles.
On the waste accumulation side, recycling everything makes sense and is a sound practice.
When talking about energy conservation and related pollution (coal, fuel oil plants producing the electricity to run the recycling plants) then recycling is actually worse than creating new plastic.

So it really depends on WHAT aspect of environmentalism you are concerned with, waste and landfills or energy consumption.

That's only one part of what they talked about and the main thing I remember considering I watched that episode like 5 years ago or something.

 

Yeah, I believe it. I've been working for Greenpeace for a while (largest independent environmental organization in the world - they fact check everrrrything)... and literally only 3% of recycled material can actually be re-used. :/

 

Well, if you split your garbage more most textile and paper can be recycled for sure, as well as most glass. I dare to doubt that 3% is the most we can do.

 

The 3% number might be what can be recycled back to its origonal use. Like none of the plastic bottles are recycled back into plastic bottles. They're shredded and used for other things. And most of the things they're turned into aren't even used on a large scale. Like toilet paper, clothing, etc. Even the most dedicated recycler may have reservations when it comes to using toilet paper made from plastic bottles.

 

i knew it! Guess i'll just start throwing my trash on the lawn.

 

You would have reservations about wiping your ass with plastic?

I can't imagine having ANY problem doing that.....

Make my bottles out of recycled toilet paper, THEN I might have an issue.

 

I think this is the key. Recycling has bad effects, throwing things in a landfill has bad effects. We really just need to consume less and reuse more.

 

They take old tires , grind them up and use them in the freeway road beads (AZ ) You can put s*** , and left over food in a meathan digester and get meathan , natual gas . All metals can be recycled into new stuff . The price of copper is quite high rite now , hear in the Phoenix area we have thevs steeling a/c unites for the copper . desert rat

 

I've heard that thieves are stealing water meters for the copper....but the snakes tend to be a deterrent.

 

Institutionalized, government mandated anything is almost certainly going to be as inefficient as possible. If people are willing to subject themselves to bullshit sorting procedures as was demonstrated by the folks in the film then they shuld do some research into what the bureaucrats are telling them and empower themselves with information instead of having some desk jockey tell them how to think.

Reusing at the individual level will almost certainly decrease the amount that gets thrown out and if methane can be collected from landfills and used to generate power then there's a ready means by which municipalities can reduce their operating costs by running small generating plants to at very least deliver electricity to municipal offices, hospitals, fire and police departments, etc. Surely the savings would enable them to not have to turn to the state as much to kick in municipal aid... or lower business and property taxes.