Over the last couple of years, many enviromental critics have argued that recycling uses more energy than it saves, and is not worth the effort to recylcle. The argument has bubbled up around 1996 when a columist John Tierney wrote in the New York Times that " Recycling may be the most wasteful activity in America." Enviromental Groups took data and actually found out that recycling was doubling energy consumption and pollution while costing taxpayers more money than disposing of regular garbage. So, why would an individual want to continue to recylce when it is costing them more money? Statistics prove that recycling were costing citizens twice as much as disposal. Even though recylcing is obviously better for the enviroment, people are not going to pay more money if everyone is not going to contribute to the recycling proccess.
http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/benefit_vs_cost.htm
I am surprised that recycling uses almost double the energy as just regular trash removal. Not too many people realize this, because recycling has always been portrayed as one of the best things you can do for the environment. I don't believe that increasing taxes just for recycling is going to assist the environmental crisis that we are in. If people realize that they are going to be paying even more money that they don't have, just to recycle, they will no longer attempt to recycle. Creating an even greater environmental issue.
ReplyDeleteI agree shane, this is an very important topic due to future problems. If people start realizing how much money it is costing them to recycle, then the recycling procees will no longer be carried out. We have a hard time trying to get everyone to recycle now, so why would people start doing it, if they realize how much they are actually spending.
ReplyDeletei agree with shane. and people dont want to pay more money to recycle, they want to get paid for recycling. like in some states you get 5 cents for every aluminum can recycled, some 10. but increasing taxes is just a stupid idea the gov't came up with to get money, when they should have known it wasnt going to work. and if it uses 2x as much energy, why did they keep promoting it as the best thing for the earth?
ReplyDeleteKnowing that people have to take the time to recycle items, separate the items, and sometimes take recycling off they are not going to pay for it as well. Yes, by recycling we are helping by not putting things in landfills which make them fill faster, but that doesn't mean we are going to pay. I agree that people want to get paid for recycling. I know a lot of people recycle aluminum cans just because they know they can get money for it, but when you add in a cost that affects the people who already recycle and the one ones who don't want to recycle, it's going to make people mad.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Shane but this really surprises me. If recycling costs so much and doubles the amount of consumption and energy then we should find a way to lower the amounts of energy and money. There is no point in recycling if it actually costs us this much.
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