Should We Recycle?

From the time when you were a small child, you were probably taught the virtues of recycling: paper, plastic, aluminum; you did your part to save the Earth. But a growing number of voices are concerned that recycling may harm the environment by expending more resources than simple trash. Before you decide whether to toss that plastic bottle in the blue bin, what should you consider?

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Regarding Argument

Recycling is an Important Component of Overall Sustainability

- From California Department of Conservation

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Manufacturing is the key ...

Businesses make a good point regarding the high expense of recycling many products headed otherwise to a landfill. Nevertheless, the high expense of recycling some products is ultimately created by the manufacturer who, in the design of their products, disregards its "after-use" status as a resource in the environment. After all, if the materials in that product are not currently in the manufacturing process, on the open market or in use, it is part of the environment from which they must draw further resources for manufacturing. With finite resources, it makes little business sense to take from the environment what is originally usable and, in the ultimate end, convert it to unusable environment. There is an end built in where all natural resources become unusable. How can one not see that as madness?

- Naumadd September 12, 2008 4:31PM

Reply to this Recommend (0) Side: Yes

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