Recycling question?

Question

Our council does not collect plastics or cardboard. If I drive about a mile to take them to the recycling centre, am I doing more damage to the environment than if I didn't recycle them?

I have a 1.3L Ford Ka which runs on unleaded.

I'd love to know scientifically if there is still benefit in us recycling under these circumstances.

Thanks

We can't cycle/walk there as there is too much to carry.

Answer 1

You are doing your community and your world a service by recycling, yes, even if you have to drive a mile out of your way to do so. My suggestion (because this is what i have to do as well) is to save up as much as you can- a whole car/truck load or as much storage as you can spare. This way, you can make the most use out of your trip to the recycling center, using the least amount of gas and time to do it.

Answer 2

My answer would be to start a petition to your council urging them get more involved in recycling. The way you have premised your question reduces things to a utilitarian solution – which is worse: the gas used to deliver the refuse or releasing the refuse into the general environment? There are solutions that avoid such black and white scenarios; they take time and effort, but mostly they are about education. Being an environmentalist is no longer about belonging to some ‘special interest’ group or becoming a scientist measuring the effects of global warming. Being an environmentalist is about becoming active in your own local community. Start today by presenting a program that avoids this dilemma. I hope my thoughts have helped you. Good luck.

Answer 3

Haha, which could be slightly ironic to try this. i'm easily constructive you may recycle plastic, even even though it relies upon on the place you pass to recycle it. Recycling does not continually mean melting a metallic all the way down to type a distinctive merchandise, it may in basic terms be interpreted as re-making use of a few thing. So in case you tackle this meaning, you ought to use a recycling bin multiple cases.

Answer 4

Save up your recyclbles until you are going to pass the recycling point and then take those things, keep unnecessary trips down to a minimumn. Or ride a bike and carry the recyclables in a rucksack which is fun and keeps you fit and the air cleaner.

Answer 5

I live in a block of flats and our council do not provide us with any recycling facilitys at all i wonder how many other people that live in flats ect have the same problem.
I do take my recycling to the local center but most people in these flats do not bother recycling at all it just gets thrown away in the communal bins provided then taken to land infill sight.

Answer 6

I work for a local council that collects plastics, paper, glass, etc from peoples doors. It costs lot of energy to do this in fuel etc. So until we can get energy efficient trucks that run on fuels such as bio fuels or rechargeable then I believe the amount of energy used to collect them far out ways the benefits

Answer 7

Yes you must recycle but use a bicycle to go.

Answer 8

thats actually a very good question, afraid i dont know the answer but i` ll be keeping an eye on them to see what comes up

Answer 9

try to take the stuff when you are going that way anyway that way there will be less impact.

Answer 10

think globally act locally