Re: [GreenYes] recycling plastic number 5's and 6's. -Why makeit at all?

[Muna Lakhani <muna@iafrica.com>]

Mike Morrow wrote:
> 
> I appreciate the reasoning and sentiment, but we can't go back.  The weight
> and breakability of the glass places it at an economic disadvantage.

that is the key - "economic" disadvantage, and to h%&ll with the people,
health and environmental costs....

> Furthermore, recovery costs are driving glass out of the MRFs which must
> adjust their operations to reduce costs. 

again: including full cost accounting would resolve these discrepancies
- it is the perverse subsidies that we allow, and the power of lobbies,
that is the barrier, not whether the product (for example, glass) is
worthwhile or not..

> Our best bet is to use technology
> to solve our problems.

*grin* I have to laugh - please don't take this personally - but we
often debate the technology issues here in South Africa - and people
seem to have problems (worldwide) understanding that the issue is not
hi-tech or low tech, but appropriate tech - the usual story? USA
astronauts went into space, and due to a lack of gravity, pens did not
function well... NASA budgeted US$1 million, and developed what I
believe later became the Papermate pen... the then USSR cosmonauts had
the same problem - they were given pencils!!

take care all....

Muna


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