Do you think recycling is a problem that adds to greenhouse gases, global warming and air and water pollution?

Question

if you don't, why not?

Answer 1

I do not think it adds but I do know it does not help.  

BY the time you take in to account all the energy it takes to recycle it will more than equal that of most processes, mining, logging, etc as they are set up to be efficient.  Also some recycling, alum. cans can not be made into alum. bars. A real problem for global warming is catalytic converters.  They can reduce fuel millage, and are required on cars.  Why do we not get rid of them. oh ya they protect us from the possible dangerous stuff coming out fo the exhaust.  Forget about carbon worry about the more dangerous stuff.

Answer 2

Well, it does take one garbage truck to take one set of garbage and another to take the recyclable garbage....

Answer 3

Yes, that's a great point!  And people here trying to make fun of you for pointing that our don't really care about the environment at all.  Both paper and plastic recycling puts cancer causing chemicals into the air, toxic wastes into our water supplies, and contributes to more carbon emissions that supposedly causes global warming.  It's inefficient, but is cheaper for the corporations than making products from scratch.  I'm not for cutting down trees either--you can make paper out many things that grow abundantly and is cheaper and "greener" to make (like hemp).  And plastic isn't good for us anyway--glass is much better.

"Recycling isn't new

Paper manufacturers use the clean waste and unsold publications to make new paper. That is why recycled paper usually specifies the percentage of "post-consumer" content. These days, industry executives estimate that eventually at least 40% of our paper needs will be met from recycling the "urban forest" of used paper.

The sludge from recycling paper creates disposal problems. It takes eighty tons of waste paper to make sixty tons of recycled paper. Paper fibres can be recycled four to seven times before the fibres become too short and wash away in the sludge. Sludge can be toxic because of ink and other additives. One benefit of unbleached paper is that it does not add organochlorine compounds to the sludge."

http://www.rfu.org/cp/saving2Wiseuse.htm

Answer 4

Yes!! I totally believe it!!! When you recycle it magically prevents global warming!

Answer 5

Recycling is part of the solution, not the problem.

Recycling paper avoids cutting down trees.  It takes a lot less water and power to recycle paper than to make new paper from wood.  A common stat is each ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution!

Similarly recycling metals and glass saves resources and energy.

You let trees live (and absorb C02) and save energy (and thus reduce CO2 emissions).

Answer 6

Yeah, recycling is the problem.  Its too annoying to separate papers & plastics and put them in a separate container from my thrash.