Chris Rodinis
January 29th, 2013
http://listverse.com/2013/01/27/10-ways-recycling-hurts-the-environment/
This post is about awareness. Reducing what we consume. Reusing what is reusable or finding a way to reuse are the keys to sustainability. Recycling works best when the processes of recycling do not pollute and cause more harm.
For me, recycling electronics is a way of urban mining. A way to mine land less and a way to mine old electronics more. As long as we do it safely and without harm to the environment. Plus, it’s good business!
Now about recycling in general, one point of view, unfortunately, with facts to back it up is this:
“Recycling’s main impact is to convince us that it’s okay to be wasteful in other areas, because we make up for it through recycling. It encourages consumption, rather than pointing out ways to reduce consumption overall.”
And this:
“The biggest reason recycling hurts the environment doesn’t have anything to do with the technical process—it’s the mindset it gives people. The idea is that by putting materials in the recycle bin, by buying products made from recycled material, we’re saving the environment….But how effective is that when the US alone still produces 500 billion pounds of trash every year?”
Point by Point
First point. Recycling pollutes. Yes, the 179,000 trash trucks on the road produce over 36 toxins into the air we breathe. The top four polluting companies in one Washington State area are recycling companies.
Second point. The waste created in recycling paper is toxic. And it can leach from landfills into groundwater. However if you mix it with sand it becomes an ingredient in other products. Once it is a “product,” it can end up in a landfill causing pollution.
Third point. Out of the seven types of plastic commonly used only two are recyclable. Here is what can happen: in the sorting process the “bad” plastic can get mixed in and can contaminate the recycled product with chemicals such as BPA. BPA has been banned in plastics that are not allowed to have it.
Fourth point. What are we accomplishing when only one percent of all plastic is recycled? Here is a Freakonomic fact: “It costs $4,000 US to recycle one ton of plastic bags, but a ton of recycled bags sells for $32. As a result, about 300,000 tons of them end up in a landfill every year.”
Fifth point. Recycling oil has a long way to go. The acid-clay process widely used creates toxic waste that is incinerated thus spewing sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide into the atmosphere. Recycling oil is not healthy!
Points 6, 7, and 8!
Sixth point. The supply of recycled materials cannot keep pace with consumer demand. For example: Americans consume 770 million aluminum cans per day! 100,000 are recycled every minute, even at that pace we are 600 million cans in the hole!
Seventh point. Every year, because of our robust forestry industry there are 7 million more acres of forest for paper production. Recycling too much paper could harm the forestry industry which is sustainable on its own.
In other words the paper is better off in landfills. Same problem with glass recycling because that is more harmful than just making new glass.
Eighth point. The new trend of “all-in-one recycling” where sorting is done at the plant, is just transferring the origin of the pollution, costing millions in equipment and still causes the same contamination.
For more information about recycling used computers or electronics, please contact: www.EwasteWiz.com