Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Recycling - A Myth?


Anthony Bradley has an interesting post on recycling. As a family, we recycle probably because we have been told to do so. I would be lying if I said I knew anything about the recycling process. Dr. Bradley's closing comment:
"Recycling is emotional, not environmental."
Check out his post. What do you think?

4 comments:

Rob N. said...

our family recycles as well... but after reading the bradley post and its links... and then googling the issue, I don't know what to do?

GFish said...

It's going to take a little more than a propaganda video that says "not ALL recycling is beneficial" to convince me that recycling is worthless. Of course not ALL recycling is beneficial.

I didn't take the time to read the 28 page research project or watch the 30 minute BS video so maybe they had some actual facts in them, but the arguments made in the video and on the blog lack convincingness.

There's room in the landfill... that's an argument for not recycling? Are you kidding?

There's a company in Iowa that makes parking blocks and park benches out of recycled plastics. 100% recycled materials. Until you can convince me that they pollute the environment more than the amount of plastics that would have gone to the dump, I will continue to recycle my milk jugs.

hammersplastic.com

Anthony said...

GFish, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend you read the book Cradle To Cradle. The chemistry and toxicity of recycling some plastics is extremely dangerous and toxic.

You will hard process to find a recycling process that do not pollute the environment just a much as the original production process.

If you have kids, unless you understand the chemistry, you want to be very careful putting them near recycled paper or plastics.

Utility does not overthrow the science and the process. Why would seen milk jugs to be recycled when burning plastic to remove impurities release green house gases that pollute the air and potentially are depleting the ozone layer? Unless you're Iowa company release no air pollution and has no liquid waste the environment is not being improved with their toxic park benches (which I would caution getting children near).

Again, the Cradle to Cradle book will be helpful if you're open to being challenge. Did you watch the second video? The Germans are tearing down their recycling plants for good reasons.--Dr. Anthony Bradley

Rob N. said...

I don't know enough to disagree... However, if this is true, and most of recycling is bad for the environment, then why do the people that care about the environment encourage us to recycle?

confused?