Is cost what prevents more things from being packaged in aluminum?
Aluminum also gets lined in plastic so...
Glass is the idea when we're talking about liquids.
Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
41–50 of 120 posts
Re: Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or glass, or paper, and almost all types of metal.
Unfortunately glass isn’t recycled here. I’ve been trying to figure out why. Probably more common in places that have glass production.
From what I understand they want a mix of recycled and virgin glass to maximize the characteristics of the glass.
Once upon a time they used to reuse coke and beer bottles, not just recycle them.
Re: Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or glass, or paper, and almost all types of metal.
Unfortunately glass isn’t recycled here. I’ve been trying to figure out why. Probably more common in places that have glass production.
Same here. I've heard a litany of excuses, but the most common one bubbled up into a documentary (?) I saw a few years ago on YT claiming that it's more cost effective to manufacture new glass than to recycle old glass. Which just seems insane to me but is probably true (colored/dyed glass mixed in with clear? I don't know).
Our landfill had a recycling center for glass for a number of years, but it was essentially just one guy who was a landscaper/glass blower (or some such). He'd come about once a month to pick through what he wanted and the rest would get tossed. I guess he retired or moved, because they don't do that anymore...
Re: Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
#44Re: Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
#45REDUCE. REUSE. Recycle.
Re: Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
#46I call it bullshit. PET used in plastic bottles can easily be depolymerized or even used as fuel. I live in a poor ex-USSR republic, and plastic recycling is a popular business; it were a scam no one would do that, as government neither mandate nor sponsor recycling.
Re: Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or aluminum recycling, crazy efficient compared to making new aluminum.
I am not so sure about this. Do you have any sources? I think I read that it's difficult due to the abundance of very different aluminium alloys.
I don’t know where you read that.
To quote wikipedia:
> Recycling scrap aluminium requires only 5% of the energy used to make new aluminium from the raw ore
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_recycling
Which cites this article from The Economist: https://www.economist.com/leaders/2007/06/07/the-price-of-vi...
Re: Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
#48Plastic recycling isn't the only kind of recycling...
I read a Pocket story recently about cartels of cardboard thieves. Just the concept itself was wild.
Diversion and repurposing on an individual and industrial scale also happens with milk crates and especially with wooden pallets, and probably also with plastic pallets.
Re: Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or glass, or paper, and almost all types of metal.
Unfortunately glass isn’t recycled here. I’ve been trying to figure out why. Probably more common in places that have glass production.
Glass recycling is very efficient, but manufacturing new glass is just cheaper. So without a government subsidy, it's usually not worth it for the recycling plant.
Re: Plastic experts say recycling is a scam. Should we even do it anymore?
#50I call it bullshit. PET used in plastic bottles can easily be depolymerized or even used as fuel. I live in a poor ex-USSR republic, and plastic recycling is a popular business; it were a scam no one would do that, as government neither mandate nor sponsor recycling.
What country do you live in if you don’t mind me asking?