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Thought 43: Recycled Thoughts

First Recycling is a good thing, but I have been wondering about whether we have been going about the whole process entirely the wrong way.

Gripe #1: End users do all of the work.
Currently the burden on recycling is on those who want to do something good. That is we sort the containers, wash some, and in some locations (like where I live) must drive to the recycling center. Not that I'm opposed to any of things, but it just leads us to

Gripe #2: Some Recycling Plants MAKE money.
Sure you can if you'd like get deposits back, or cash for raw metals, or even save money for bringing your own bag to the grocery store. Again this is your work, you save, good. It's when you have done this work and the recycle plant gets to keep the profits of your labor. Granted you are helping to "save the planet", but even the places that give you money for recyclables (mostly metal) still make money from you bringing it down to them.

Gripe #3: We are smarter than this.
I think we are all very smart well intentioned people. As such, why do we do we waste so much time, energy, and gas on this? Oh, right, to "save the planet". Really? Why not just spend the time and energy on a garbage sorting machine and remove the need to for people to talk about what needs to be done for recycling or putting up special bins everywhere. Bins which I believe are designed specifically to get people to yell at you, "Hey, that's recyclable, place that over there". Actually, let me correct this, we have already done this. Further power could be generated.

I can fully understand why we needed to start out with manual labor for sorting trash into recyclable and non-recyclable. But really, we've been doing that for DECADES, it's time to move on, embrace technology, and truly reduce and reuse waste on a community wide scale, with absolutely ZERO need for those too lazy, angry, or interested to need to be persuaded that they need to place their used soda bottle in the right bin.

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