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RE: [greenyes] Recyclability


Not to beat this issue to death, I would hope that we would concentrate on reducing the environmental impact of materials use and disposition, rather than use weight (or volume) as a criterion.

John Reindl
Dane County, WI

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Peter Anderson [mailto:anderson@no.address]
>Sent: Friday, August 26, 2005 12:09 PM
>To: GreenYes
>Subject: [greenyes] Recyclability
>
>
> In response to the request for what is recyclable, Jerry correctly
>points out that, by definition, thermoset (as contrasted with
>thermoplastic)
>plastics cannot be remolded into anything, and, if recovered,
>could only be
>chopped up for filler.
>
> But something even broader needs to be raised here that his point
>illustrates.
>
> There has been a major undercurrent in the recycling movement that
>anything can be recycled, as a matter of pride.
>
> While technically that may be true, it ill serves our long term
>interests in being sustainable ourselves, if we blithely
>ignore real world
>limitations that only makes some things practicably
>recyclable. For without
>some underlying economic rationale, whatever we summon
>extraordinary efforts
>to recover will be less than a little noticed flash in the pan.
>
> Our blurring the line between technically and practically
>has led us to
>do some very counterproductive things such as in vigorously
>chasing the
>infinitesimal #3-#7 plastics, which are less than one half of
>one percent of
>the MSW stream -- while doing precious little to broaden base level
>recycling of C&D, which is as large as the entire MSW stream.
>
>
>
> Peter
>_________________________
>Peter Anderson, President
>RECYCLEWORLDS CONSULTING
>4513 Vernon Blvd. Suite 15
>Madison, WI 53705-4964
>Ph: (608) 231-1100
>Fax: (608) 233-0011
>Cell: (608) 698-1314
>eMail: anderson@no.address
>web: www.recycleworlds.net
>
>


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