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?
Please select the category that most closely reflects your concern about this content,
so that we can review it and determine whether it violates Civility 101 or isn't
appropriate for some other reason.
Abusing this feature is also a violation of Civility 101.
Explanation:
Biweekly updates on new debates and experts
Please check your email to confirm your subscription.
© 2008 Opposing Views, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Opposing Views, Inc. is not responsible for the content posted on this website. Please view full disclaimer under Terms
Recycling Simply to Save Landfill Space Doesn't Make Sense
- From CEI
By Competitive Enterprise Institute - From Economy to Ecology
Thank You for your Comment
We review all comments before they're posted. For more on our comment policy, please see our FAQ.
Still you must concede ...
it makes little sense to manufacture a product in such a way that much of its pure elements cannot be recouped through recycling. Just as the product is lost to the consumer, so too is it lost to the manufacturer. Every manufacturer must operate acknowledging the fact that the resources of the Earth are finite. To manufacture under the assumption of endless pure resource for one's products is irrational. It seems most sensical to manufacture one's products with an eye to recouping as close to 100% of its materials when it is no longer usable by the consumer. In this way, the manufacturing of that product can continue indefinitely and, when the product no longer has marketable value - new or used - its raw materials can still be recouped for the manufacture of new and different products. To fill the dumps with materials that have been manufactured to be unrecoverable is to rob today and tomorrow of those resources. This also is madness due to the truth of a finite planet with finite resources.
- Naumadd
September 12, 2008 4:07PM
Reply to this Recommend (0)
Side: Yes
Thank You for your Comment
We review all comments before they're posted. For more on our comment policy, please see our FAQ.
Taking land for granted...
It may seem like there is an endless supply of land available to dump our millions of tons of garbage every year, but I don't believe it. Land is being sold every day to developers and builders to destroy forests and meadows that have survived for thousands of years as things of beauty. So, I guess the bottom line is, lets keep using more and more land for construction and landfills, and take away what beauty the land offers us and the wildlife that have to survive in smaller and smaller areas, until nothing is left but landfills, condos, and asphalt!
- Glasscat
September 17, 2008 7:20PM
Reply to this Recommend (0)
Side: Yes
Thank You for your Comment
We review all comments before they're posted. For more on our comment policy, please see our FAQ.