Re: [GreenYes] Tierney on Recycling

["JOSEPH K MALTESE" <jkmaltese@prodigy.net>]

Although I agree with the arguments in principal, I don't believe that we
can ever gain consensus on the cost issues.  The failure of recycling
programs to meet their early promise continues to raise it's ugly head -
CRRA is now charging communities $20/ton to BURN recyclable material that
they once burned for free because ENRON promised to pay for the energy
produced.

With the "economics" involved in the put or pay contracts and promised
return on investment for energy sales, I expect CRRA never made any efforts
to profitably recycle the recyclable material.

One of the groups I've been consulting with has been trying to build a 100%
OMG/ONP recycle plant locally (in the heart of a geographical area
generating up to 50% of the countries OMG/ONP) and can't get anywhere.  We
keep getting reminded of failed recycle facilities - either real or
imagined.  The publishers can get virgin newsprint cheaper, with better
quality, and more reliably.  So we continue to encourage people to separate
and recycle only to have failed in the promise of doing something good and
positive with the materials generated by their efforts.  Sometimes it is
very discouraging to try to fight the good fight.

Sorry for the opinion - but I could use some help.  If we can't get viable
recycle plant projects funded, landfills may in fact be cheaper than
recycling!  Any thoughts, encouragement, commiseration, reply, would be
appreciated.

Ken Maltese
Maltese & Associates
203-387-2011

----- Original Message -----
From: <RJayW2@aol.com>
To: <greenyes@grrn.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 9:46 AM
Subject: [GreenYes] Tierney on Recycling


> Can we educate John Tierney on recycling?  Nah.  Can we muzzle Tierney's
> anti-recycling diatribes?  Nah--freedom of the press and all that.  Can we
> counter Tierney's arguments?  Sure we can and not with stale sayings like
> "more people recycle than vote" because more people do most everything
more
> than vote (that's why we have the politicians that we have).  Instead, the
> environmental community should call for a suspension of the expensive
> practice of landfilling.  How much does landfilling cost New Yorkers?  Is
it
> more expensive than recycling?  Do we moan about transportation costs and
> storage costs and labor costs associated with the laborous act of throwing
> away and storing throwaways before the trash man comes and takes the
material
> away to live with Jesus?  If not, we should!
>
> I'm reasonably sure that most knowledgeable New Yorkers will read John
> Tierney's opinion piece and shrug.  Those who would stop recycling because
of
> what Tierney writes probably don't read newspapers anyway.  The best way
to
> counter what Mr. Tierney has to say is to find out what the City of New
York
> pays to landfill vs. what it pays to recycle.  I'm sure the Mayor's office
> has these figures handy.  Bet me landfilling costs dwarf those of
recycling.
>
> John Waddell
> KJWB Publications/Refuse News
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