Why are the economic benefits of recycling not stressed more?

Question

It seems to me that recycling would benefit the economy both in job creation and the reduction of imports (for example aluminum). Is this true, if so why don't you hear more about it.

Answer 1

My parents both lived through the Great Depression and WW II, and during both of those times they feel it was very patriotic and approved-of to re-use and recycle. Why did that change? My parents did not: All throughout the 50s until today they composted, recycled (when curbside was NOT an option!) and consumed less. Others I know who lived thru the same times did not continue a 'green' lifestyle. One reason: My folks both think that it is our responsibility to "leave the earth a better place than you found it." Perhaps it is this: If we feel we have 'dominion' over the earth then we do not take care of it? Our children must be taught to take care of this planet, and I feel that if you have children it is your responsibility to teach them to 'be green.' Not their teachers, not their friends... Yours. I feel this way because it worked in my family: All the kids and grandchildren are living green as well.

Thanks for listening.

Answer 2

It depends where you live;-} the US is behind other countries.

In Canada, municipalities have started re-cycling programs.

The problem is, it takes initial investment & public education.

If people don't co-operate by separating waste at source,

it gets very expensive to process contaminated waste.

Poorer countries, like India & Mexico, are mining dumps.

China has developed industries re-cycling paper.

Aluminum can be reprocessed virtually forever.

Answer 3

people do not care.. plus it may hurt some businesses.. but i always recycle

Answer 4

man, there is a community near my hometown that stopped accepting plastic in the recycling because they don't have anyone to buy it.

Answer 5

Because it is too embarrasing for the green lobby.  Recycling costs a lot of money, and to benefit from it, you have to be in the recycling business.

Answer 6

idn

Answer 7

Recycling takes effort on the part of the recyclers.  Americans do not like things that take an effort or require a change on their part.  Yes there is a economic benefit, but unless the average American can see direct results in their everyday lives they will not care one bit.  

America, F*@K Yeah!

Comin' again to save the motherf*@king day, yeah!

Answer 8

Probrably because it does not have much impact on the economy. :-)

Answer 9

to be honest, i think recycling is up! at least i know in Michigan, they give us recycling bins to put out with our trash so it's so easy to do, everyone in my area does it!

Answer 10

They are stressed it's just that people like you have become immune to the campaign and they need a new campaign and slogan to hit them between th eyes.  look around you on your shopping receipts,  what governments are talking about,  Greenpeace and farmers.

Answer 11

people just dont care about the environment anymore

Answer 12

Because people are getting lazy and fatter sitting around eat MCDonalds everyday

Answer 13

I hear about recycling all the time.  I'm not sure what planet you are living on.

Answer 14

Because that is the dream, not the reality.  What happens with a lot of 'recyclable' garbage in the US is that it gets shipped to a foreign recycling plant.  They get paid for receiving the garbage, but the plant's output doesn't come close to matching the amount of garbage sent to them.  So the reality is that we pay a fee to dump 'good garbage only' in someone else's landfill.  

Don't let that stop you though.  A big reason we do this is to get people in the habit of recycling, so that as recycling plants are built, they'll have something to recycle.  So even though it doesn't do as much good as we would hope, what you are doing today will matter someday.

Answer 15

I think it's become part of people's lives anymore -- we were provided glass/cans and paper bins to recycle when we owned a home (not here where we rent) but most people DO recycle after they made a big deal about it a long time ago.  People have been provided the opportunity to make it easier on them with recycle pick ups and separate trash pick ups.

Answer 16

nah recycling is boring, who wants to bother about sorting out your rubbish, dump it in one bin I say

Answer 17

It's not that people don't care about the environment anymore,it's that people don't care about ANYTHING,anymore.Nothing is the same as it was let's say 10 years ago..awareness of what should and shouldn't be done to protect ourselves is declining more and more.

Answer 18

It doesn't provide much immediate benefit to the person doing the recycling.  If I pick up a soda can from the sidewalk and toss it into the recycling bin, the economic benefit to me is far less than a microcent -- but I do it anyway.