2006-10-28 06:27:08 · 8 answers · asked by nuno c 1 in Environment
Around here where recycling is mandatory in the town or they won't take your garbage, the biggest problem is that any glass or plastic needs to be scrubbed clean and the labels removed to qualify for recycling. By the time that you run the hot water to clean your recyclable trash and then spend time scouring it you have wasted more energy and resources (electricity, fuel oil, water, and your own labor) than will be saved by the recycling of that item.
I think loosening up the rules would help, with the fine cleaning being done at the recycling plant.
2006-10-28 06:32:47 · answer #1 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many problems with recycling that the environmentalists try to ignore!
PAPER - only certain types of paper are recyclable. They can only be recycled about 4/5 times and then the strings are too short to bind again. The more paper recycled the more recycled paper is added the less usable it becomes. The Western world is saturated with it and most is exported - net result - an increase in pollution from the transportation of it!!
GLASS - white and blue glass is easily recyclable but green and brown glass has little use. Whilst research has come up with some limited applications such as use with rubber for a road surface these colours are still often put into landfill!!!!
PLASTIC - Whilst contrary to popular belief, many plastics are recyclable, weight is the problem. Even tightly compacted, a load of plastic costs more to transport and treat than is either financially or environmentally viable.
ALUMINIUM - the single shinning star!! Aluminium is extremely costly to produce from ore but incredibly cheap to recycle!!!!
The only immediate solution is to drastically reduce packaging. BUT - the desire is there to make recycling work and research will make it much more viable in the near future. Research will also make make much of the packaging more easily recyclable.
2006-10-28 17:22:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The main problem about recycling as I see it is, THE PEOPLE. Sadly we live in a very wasteful nation. Other countries have their recycling systems so well in place you don't realize that you are recycling. In order for our country to recycle we must educate the nation and of course make more recycling centers available beyond your 9am to 5pm.
In order to make my office recycle I ordered a container from "Bottles and Cans" and started selling them sodas at a lower cost than our vending machines. By doing so I have had a success rate of about 95% in recycling.
May be if more offices start a recycling program, people will carry that habit into their homes. Plus you can make a few extra dollars from it, which I use to buy treats for the staff. It all comes back to you, in a more positive way!
2006-10-28 13:48:40 · answer #3 · answered by Xterra04 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mandatory deposit laws in all places
Making more products with recycled items
Cutting back on "disposable" products sold
Making recycling laws = for business & industry and NOT just consumers!!!
Change the kind of adhesives being used on bottles, cans,,, so consumers could get them off easier!
& finially, just think, if only we could go back to manufacturing products that actually last more than 1 - 5 years (washers, dryers, TV, Stero, VCR, DVD, ...
would help reduce recycling problems.
Instead of trying to go use more nucularenergy try finding a way to re-use the radioactive waste that has already been generated by the use of it.
2006-10-28 15:53:15 · answer #4 · answered by Big V 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best solution for recyling is to not produce recyclable staff, i.e. consuming less and REUSING, not recycling.
Reusing is to give back the glass bottles to the milk man and bring our own bag to the supermarket.
It should also be good that the american burger chains start, at least, separating the rubish into organic, plastics and paper. I hate everytime I see a full country like mine trying to save the environment and this kind of restaurants still aplying the american philosophy of 'use once - soil forever'.
2006-10-28 13:41:02 · answer #5 · answered by Zoly 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being a good sort eh, that's the only hard part, sorting it all into separate containers
2006-10-28 13:30:26 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
over in Hawaii they save all that stuff & collect money for it. Even our tour driver,while we were there said he had a container that we could put it in because that is what he did.
2006-10-28 13:37:07 · answer #7 · answered by Tired Old Man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
RECYCLING IS EASY...
THE PROBLEM IS APATHY BY THE PEOPLE.....
2006-10-28 13:30:48 · answer #8 · answered by cork 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋