Re: [greenyes] The environmental impacts of recycling glass

["Wayne Turner" <WAYNET@no.address>]

Bob Kiby Posted:

"Should the city send a 40 ton diesel truck by to pick up my 2 pounds
of rock 
a week?  Even as part of an overall recycling program, picking up rock

door-to-door sure sounds like an environemental net negative."

Should it: no.  Do residents expect it: yes.  This argument may sound
good on the surface, but government solid waste programs are replete
with examples of picking up benign substances that, space limitations
and health issues notwithstanding, would be just as well left at their
point of generation.  I'm sure we could all use the 2 pounds of rock
(dirt) as well as the X pounds of dead leaves, the X pounds of dead
trees, the X pounds of food scraps, the X pounds of water, etc.  But
reality shows that we DEMAND that these materials be removed from our
premises and taken away.  We are either unable or unwilling to find
innovative ways to use these leftovers that result in net negative
environmental benefits although the method of collection is what is
driving this equation negataive.

Thinking WAY outside the box, are there any examples of programs that
crush/pulverize their glass at and use it in their compost?  Would the
chemistry of glass affect the chemistry of the compost negatively or
positvely?




B. Wayne Turner
City of Winston-Salem
Utilities Division
phone: (336) 727 8418
email: waynet@no.address

"Experience is what allows us to recognize repeated mistakes."