Tuesday, March 04, 2008

So just what is the point?

You do your bit by carefully separating out the glass, the newspaper (no polythene mind!), and the recyclable plastics (if you are lucky enough to live in one of the few areas that collect it). You put it it the provided bins and bags and along comes the collection wagon to take it all away for a second use.

It has become something of a weekly ritual for a great many of us, and it does make you feel as if you are contributing in your own small way. But, and it is a big but, you take it on trust that your local council/authority is doing the right thing. Well, according to this from the weekend's Telegraph, something like one in eight of the items that you've carefully sorted and put out for recycling collection, actually end up in landfill anyway!

"Around 240,000 tons of paper, glass and plastic is either dumped or burned after being collected in green bins and bags by local council staff"

Just why do we bother?

1 comment:

Emma said...

Well, one reason might be that some of us care enough to try to help.

But things like this make it... frustrating.

The other might be that there are of course in place, as a matter of priority, mechanisms of penalty for not being part of a system of such questionable enviROI+.

So when some say 'why bother', it is hard to squeeze out a rictus smile and suggest that it's better than nothing.