| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| steve.k |
Recycle for who?I have been away for a long time. Not what you might think. I have had to try to take a second job to help pay the bills, anyway. Is it my imagination or are we being conned here slightly. My family are pretty good at recycling things. All the usual most of it going on the allotment or used to store supplies from the allotment. My oh even scrounges of the neighbours. To say recycling has become fashionable would be a bit glib even. But we see all the adverts about being green and recycling yet financially how better off are we as individuals. One that comes to mind is the recycling of Aluminium drink cans. One site I was looking at stated that around 60% of drink cans are now made from recycled cans? this does seem a lot to me but I bow to the experts. It also said it is cheaper to recycle aluminium than to produce. My can of coke is no cheaper than it was say last year. Get my point? We all work hard at 'doing our bit' if we can afford to.I have spent all winter collecting cardboard for this summers mulching, we are even collecting toilet rolls instead of using seed trays etc. I will continue to recycle where I can and be as frugal as possible, but I openly admit it is purely financially motivated. Any comments? |
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| boisdevie1 |
It depends what your motives are for recyling. I recycle because I'm passionate about the sake of the planet. I'm being selfish in a sense because I have two daughters and I want them to inherit a planet worth having. That's why I try to reduce my impact on the planet. Money is not my motivation. | ||
| JB |
I suppose part of it is the question of how much does the cost of that can contribute to the cost of the product? I suspect in the case of something like coke it's negligible and most of the cost disappears into labout, transport, marketting etc?
If they really cared about the planet they'd stop shipping all this rubbish halfway across the planet in the first place. That would save a damn siight more than using a recycled can ever would. |
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| Cho-ku-ri |
I agree that the need to recycle is not to save money, but to save the planet. | ||
| mochyn |
Blow recycling the cans, why would I buy Coke in the first place? | ||
| AnneandMike |
I agree with you there Mochyn, but the bottom line is the carbon emission from recycling aluminium is only 10% of new metal. I recycle any aluminium e.g. foil tops, foil used for cooking ( it easily washes). Maybe somebody is profiting from this but at least it is good for the planet. |
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| mochyn |
Don't worry, if I bought that sort of thing I'd recycle the tins, but I try (not always successfully) not to buy packaging. | ||
| VSS |
I agree with you about the packaging. Taking the children to school on dustbin day, i cant believe the number of bins i see outside other houses. They must buy all this stuff, just to throw it away.
We have five in our house and put the wheelie bin out only every second or third week. I struggle to comprehend where all this stuss comes from, and can only suppose that most of it is packaging! www.viableselfsufficiency.co.uk |
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| alisjs |
noticed the same thing with my neighbours' bins.....since Ive been sorting cans, glass, card, plastic and composting stuff there's not a lot left!
Confess to throwing a disgusting old pair of 'Furbie' slippers in the bin this week though 
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| mochyn |
We put out 3 or 4 black bags per year. There are only two of us, and we compost/feed to livestock/recycle as much as possible, but I still think that's pretty good. Neighbours seem to put out vast quantities, though! |