Recycling is a Waste

Not only do I not recycle, I actively attempt to prevent others from recycling. I am tempted every week to take my neighbors recycling bins and empty them into my garbage cans. I've not yet done so... but that doesn't mean I won't do it eventually.

Why?

Because recycling is wasteful.

How can that be you ask? Raw materials are not the whole of the equation says I. Recycling is a process by which the old is made new. All processes have costs. Recycling costs a lot.

New Aluminum is cheaper than recycled aluminum.

New paper is cheaper than recycled paper.

There is virtually no new product in the world that is more expensive than its recycled counterpart.

It doesn't do us any good to reuse some aluminum, if we have to burn significantly more coal to recycle it. It doesn't do us any good to recycle paper, if it cost less in oil, gas, and electricity, to simple grow and process more trees.

We now have 40% more garbage trucks in many areas... because the same trucks that process and carry trash, cannot be used to carry plastic, paper, and glass to the recycling sites. That's more gas. That's more air pollution.

It looks like you're doing some good. It gives you a do-gooder buzz. But... as is the way of most liberal activities...

It harms that which it is aimed at helping.

Be Green. Don't Recycle.