I had a run in with a co-worker today who was upset that I hadn’t placed a couple sheets of paper in the recycling bin instead opting for the trash. I do this on purpose and I thought it would make an interesting blog post to explain why.
The primary goal of recycling is to minimize the impact of our consumption on the environment. The basic argument however as to why we recycle usually goes along the lines that as humans we should recycle our consumables so that they can be used again without depending on a natural resource to replenish them. The thing that the vast majority of folks fail to realize is that in many circumstances that statement is either incorrect or actually in opposition of the goal behind recycling.
To dig a bit further we need to look at recycling on a case by case basis for the material in question. Typically recyclable materials are broken down into the following types:
Paper –
The source of paper is wood which obviously comes from trees. Those trees are typically purpose grown to provide paper. There are large swaths of forest that were planted specifically by the various providers of wood in order to meet the demand we have on it. In this very real sense wood is not a natural resource it is actually a crop. There are more trees today in the United States than when the original settlers landed on this continent centuries ago. Why? Because we need them. It’s basic supply and demand economics in that as this country’s appetite for wood increased more trees were planted.
The cost, both monetarily and ecologically, associated with producing a recycled sheet of paper exceeds the cost of producing one from new wood. This is because for recycled paper you have additional steps in the production process. You must collect the recyclables, sort them, haul them to a processing facility, separate the paper from other debris and items, grind the paper into pulp, bleach it (using harmful chemicals), and then produce a sheet of paper. All of these extra steps use energy which today is delivered in the form of fossil fuels. The diesel that the truck to haul the recyclables burned, the coal to run the power plant which provided the electricity to process the paper, etc. With new paper there is of course still energy expended but several studies indicate that the amount used for a recycled piece of paper exceeds the amount needed for a new sheet of paper.
The other benefit you have of using new paper is that you’re planting trees. By consuming more paper you’re asking the paper manufactures to plant more trees on your behalf. During the 25-30 years that the tree spends maturing to be ready for harvest it is busy eating carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. If you subscribe to the greenhouse gas and global warming theories you’re now demonstrably reducing the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere by not recycling paper.
This is why I think, and a lot of other folks do as well, that you’re actually hurting the environment more be recycling paper. Throw it in the trash and we will grow more trees.
If you think I’m alone look for yourself
Plastic (biodegradable) –
These plastics were designed specifically to decompose quickly in sunlight and the soil. They can sometimes even be used in compost. Again, it makes much more sense to throw these in the trash than to recycle them if you’re not a composter. The trip to the landfill uses much less energy than the equivalent required to process this in a recycling facility.
Plastic (Non-biodegradable) –
Recycle these!!!!! Non-biodegradable plastic is the single item that the average consumer throws away which has the largest negative environmental impact. It can sit around in landfills for centuries. If it can be recycled into something useful (which in this case is often a reuse) that is the best possible outcome.
Glass –
I’m on the fence about glass. The information is inconclusive. Glass is obviously derived from a natural resource (silicon) that has a finite supply. If you’ve ever been to a beach though you’ll recognize that even though it is finite it is also nearly inexhaustible. I don’t have a strong opinion one way or the other and will reserve judgment until more concrete studies are done that look at the cost/benefit of recycling glass.
Aluminum –
You should certainly recycle aluminum as the source is primarily bauxite. Since bauxite is a mined natural resource we can significantly limit our dependency by recycling. This same reason is why you can actually sell your aluminum soda cans back for cash. It’s much more efficient to recycle than to mine new bauxite and produce aluminum.
Other metals –
It really depends on the metal but like aluminum the source was most certainly a mined mineral. I recommend recycling these items (soup cans, etc).