Ok, so we know recycling is a good thing, right?
Right. (Deep breath)…But it’s not good enough.
When I talk about going zero waste to someone new, they usually bring up recycling. 9 times out of 10, I usually change the subject or don’t engage further, depending on how much I like the person. Here are a few real life examples to illustrate:
Me: Hey, do you know how to clean and reuse growlers? I’ve been looking for a trash-free way to drink alcohol.
Person holding a growler: Yeah, it’s called recycling.
Me: So there’s no way to clean a growler?
Or….
Person: Can I get you a beer?
Me: Sure…Wait, on second thought, no thanks. I’m trying to reduce my waste.
Person: Just recycle it!
Me: Actually, a glass of water would be great 🙂
(Wow, I just realized my two best examples make me look like an alcoholic.)
Anyway, you may be wondering why I avoid discussing zero waste further with these people. The answer is simple:
People Want to Think They’re Good People
We’ve been told since primary school that recycling is the key to saving the world. We don’t want to be told that recycling is only marginally better than throwing something out. That we’re not solving the problem of landfills, deforestation, the oil crisis, the water crisis, and global warming. That we’re only prolonging the inevitable.
In short, people don’t want to be told they’re not as good a person as they think they are.
I don’t enjoy telling people this, either. That’s why I don’t engage in a discussion about the realities of recycling unless someone asks me directly, “Why isn’t recycling as good an option as going zero waste?” and they seem genuinely interested and open to my answer. Even then, I sometimes peter out when I get an eye roll or two.
However, I’ve mentioned before that this blog is my place for writing about things no one wants to listen to me talk about anymore. So let’s get down to it like Luther nailing his theses to the door:
Why I Don’t “Just Recycle”
I could write a book (and many have) about all of these points in detail, but there are so many people who can say it better than me. That, coupled with my laziness, means this short list will have to suffice. The links will ensure that people who actually want to understand the logic in full have the opportunity to explore and lazy readers can resume their regularly scheduled skimming.
- Recycling takes resources. Therefore, if you can eliminate the need to recycle all together, those resources are saved or can be used for other, more important projects.
- A lot of plastic gets downcycled into items that can’t be recycled.
- Some items that appear recyclable can’t be recycled.
- Paper can only be recycled so many times (Think about it: If we could continuously recycle used paper into new paper, why would we ever come across non-recycled paper? There would be a finite amount of paper needed to supply the whole world).
- A lot of plastic packaging can’t be recycled.
- Recycling facilities vary, and you may think you can recycle things using your curbside bin that you actually cannot.
- There are more important things that need those materials. In the words of Ron Swanson when encountering a large bunch of balloons, “Stop wasting that helium; it is intended for welding and filling airships.” Light weight plastic, aluminum, and other recyclable materials are necessary for important aspects of our modern life to function, so why waste them on something stupid like the little plastic windows on pasta boxes?
If You Have a Choice Between Throwing Something Away & Recycling, Then Recycle (Duh)
I don’t want anyone thinking that this blog is denouncing recycling altogether. If you can’t avoid a plastic/paper/aluminum/any material that can be recycled, then yes, recycle it. Obviously.