I keep hearing NPR stories that most of our recycled material is going to the landfill anyway bc China is refusing to take our stuff anymore. It isn’t sufficiently clean or properly sorted or whatever. Zikzak informs us that returning plastic bags for recycling at the grocery store is equally useless. It’s depressing but I still do it.
It’s not that simple Rexx. Up until this point we’ve been exporting most of those recyclables for processing in developing countries, where they’ve been creating environmental problems over there. As Devil mentioned, about a year ago China started refusing to take any more of it, which created a problem. At the moment (as far as I know) eastern states are simply stockpiling recyclables as there’s nothing viable to do with them. Recycling is frequently unviable both economically and environmentally (because it consumes more energy than making the product from scratch, for example). To give you an idea of where we’re at, one of the major ideas for how to deal with “recycled” plastics is currently to convert power stations to incinerate them for energy. Read this for a primer. Regarding the idea about making roads out of recycled plastics:
He said he was often asked if Plastiphalt created microbeads which pollute waterways and poison marine life.
“We completely melt the plastic into the bitumen - if you imagine putting sugar into coffee it dissolves. This is exactly what happens, there are no microbeads.”
Mmmm. We will see about that. Colour me skeptical.
I was just using recycling as an example. My primary goals are reducing consumption, reusing things, composting and recycling. Pretty much in that order.
People who take one part of a statement, often the least important part, and argue against it while ignoring the bigger picture and relevant section.
3 Likes
Yea Chris and Devil pretty much covered it for me. I still recycle, mostly out of habit and a fleeting desire to believe that it actually is good and all the studies are wrong, but eh at this point it seems like we’re kidding ourselves.
I work in a 100% recycled paper mill and I can confirm much of this. But not everything you toss in the single-stream recycling bin is equally likely to end up in the landfill. Cardboard will almost certainly be recycled. All other paper is probably 50/50 to end up in the landfill. Aluminum cans are very likely to be recycled. All plastic is going to the landfill. Or, annoyingly, to a recycled paper mill in mixed paper to be rejected by our cleaning system and then sent to a landfill. Basically, if you toss something with relatively high value in the recycling bin it will probably be recycled. Cardboard sells for 100 bucks a ton so sure it will probably be recycled. Aluminum cans get like 600 bucks a ton so sure that’s getting recycled. Plastic is worthless and non-cardboard paper is close to worthless so yeah that’s getting tossed in the landfill.
1 Like
I’m trying to eliminate plastic from my usage but it’s extremely difficult. I’m not even close atm.
They watch billboards disguised as race cars drive in circles hundreds of times, usually for several hours in one sitting. Sometimes they yell at the TV.
1 Like
People do this to basically everything I post.
2 Likes
Everything you post? Hyperbole much??
7 Likes
Good one
1 Like
Faking videos…
1 Like
Tbf My uncle collapsed when my Aunt had twins… 
And he was in his early fortys… 
Wait is lipstick called that because its a stick or because it sticks to your lips?
In German it’s called Lippenstift (“lip pencil”) so it’s most likely due to it’s form and not the stickiness 
OK, first off. I was gonna start a new thread about “Things that should be obvious but you didn’t notice.” I got a suggestion to post here instead LOL. So kudos to whoever set the website up like that.
Anyway, you know Pearl Jam’s video “Jeremy”? I’ve seen it probably 500x. It didn’t occur to me until tonight that that swinging plate in the beginning represents Tabula Rasa.
Stupid thing I keep doing even thought I know it’s stupid:
standing next to the door ready to go out, wondering
“Do I need a jacket?”
walk back into next room to check weather on internet instead of just opening the damn door for direct information
1 Like
That’s not too bad if you’re going out for a while and checking what the weather will be for the day. Like I might start without a jacket knowing it’s chilly now but going to warm up.