Re: does recycling make sense?

[Cardinal Chunder <cc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

RichD wrote:
> Those recycling bins have become commonplace
> (bottles/cans/paper), but I wonder, is there any beef,
> or is it just feelgood environmentalism?
>
> Has anyone ever done an end-to-end analysis of the
> process?  Does it make sense economically, or in
> terms of reduced environmental pollution?  If not, who
> is subsidizing it?

I think reuse is as effective as recycling. Ireland makes you pay 15 
cents for a plastic shopping bag. The net result is something like a 
>90% reduction in plastic bags. Denmark & Germany make you pay a 
deposit on plastic and glass bottles. The net result is people return 
their bottles for the refund and the bottles get washed out and reused.

Bother are obviously more environmentally friendly than manufacturing 
more of the same and tossing the old ones into landfill.

I'd like to see someone like the EU force these sort of measures in 
other areas to encourage reuse.

--
"Hello. I'm Leonard Nimoy. The following tale of alien encounters is 
true. And by true, I mean false. It's all lies. But they're entertaining 
lies. And in the end, isn't that the real truth? The answer is: No."