<p>For one of my essays for my apps, I have to write about a current issue and how to influence people to help this issue. I chose to write about global warming and going green. In thinking about this question, I suddenly realized that while recycling is an awesome thing, has anyone ever realized that recycling bins are made out of plastic, which is a non-renewable and harmful material? I just thought this was kind of ironic and sent some mixed messages. Share your thoughts!</p>
<p>I catch your drift but at the same time, people don't really throw out/waste recycling bins.. That's an interesting thought though. I suppose at the end of the day if a recycling bin is no longer being used then it can be recycled too?</p>
<p>yeah you're right about that but hey, those recycling bins are being wasted for the greater good, eh?</p>
<p>i went green by going vegetarian, farm animals give out more emissions then all the transportation in the world</p>
<p>okay, so in theory you are correct, but i see something wrong with that analysis:</p>
<p>so if you're saying recycling bins shouldnt be made out of plastic, then what should they be made out of??? wood?? steel?? whatever material you come up with, i'm pretty sure that it will be much more expensive than plastic. and nobody is going to want to pay $100+ for a recycle bin.</p>
<p>but... good thinking. i do agree that in some ways, using a plastic recycle bin is very hypocritical.</p>
<p>It's also sort of a give and take situation.. The more recycling bins needed, the more produced, which wouldn't be a good thing except for the fact that more produced also means that there's a higher demand for recycling bins which means more people are making an effort to recycle. ..If that made any sense hahah</p>
<p>Maybe cardboard or some other renewable material. I do understand that by using a plastic bin, we are using it for a greater good. And eventually, a recycling bin will be tossed, maybe if it broke and it has to be thrown out. I'm not trying to promote anything but eco-friendly products in this post, so please don't be offended by anything. As I said, it's just a thought! :)</p>
<p>It's a good thought!</p>
<p>It just kinda came to me all of a sudden.</p>
<p>An eco-friendly epiphany, haha</p>
<p>Small problem. To my knowledge, a large portion of Recycling bins(That are being made now) are made of Recycled plastic and that is Recycling at its finest right?</p>
<p>I do know that the bins are being made out of recycled plastic, but in the end, its still plastic and it will forever remain in a landfill. I also understand that while it is a small problem, it is easier for everyone to make small changes than it is for a few people to make large changes. It's easier to have a renewable-material made recycling bin, then say, buying a hybrid car.</p>
<p>Then lets not recycle. Lets switch everything to renewable materials.
-That was sarcastic</p>
<p>Do you get what I'm saying? The point is that it is way too costly to use renewables... So we use plastic. The goal of recycling is to use less plastic and reuse as much as possible. By making bins out of recycled plastic, you are using less plastic and reusing alot of plastic.</p>
<p>A plastic bag is less than 0.12$. The same sized bag made of Renewables is over 9$(This isn't the cheapest, but it is the only method that can be used on a large scale). The choice is yours, but the money is yours also.
75 times as expensive by the way.</p>
<p>As I previously said, this is just my opinion and my thoughts on the issue. I believed it to be an ironic situation and I don't believe I have enough knowledge to change everything into renewable materials. I do understand what you're saying, but please do not attack my opinions.</p>
<p>they should make it off bamboo, a bio-degradable substance that's cheap</p>
<p>I remember reading a while back that foam cups are by far the least energy intensive type of cup to use. They take far less energy to produce than other one-use cup materials, such as paper. And even though reusable cups (ceramic or glass or whatever) can be used over and over, washing them takes energy, and the only way such cups can be less energy-intensive than foam cups is if the dishwasher is very, <em>very</em> highly energy efficient. And even then, it's only by a slim margin.</p>
<p>Of course, that ignores the whole landfill issue, but it's an interesting environmental trade-off that usually isn't considered, which is odd given how energy is at the forefront of environmental debate these days.</p>
<p>Skidad, there are SO MANY things that we hear chanted over and over again as being "green" that defy science, (or basic logic, for that matter). Another example: when my sister had her first child, she was living in California where the hottest natural resource is water. She insisted that using cloth diapers was more "green" than disposables that needed to be bleached, extra rinse cycle, etc, etc.</p>
<p>My son tried to start an conservation club (as opposed to environmental) at his school to conserve both fiscal and natural resources but couldn't find an advisor. I guess it would have hurt the feelings of the kids who happily sort paper to be recycled to have someone suggest that the school simply stop printing out reams and reams of "reminders" that could be sent electronically.</p>
<p>Very often, people do what makes them feel good about themselves rather than what will actually be the most effective.</p>
<p>I can't understand it. Waste not, want not. I'm just glad to see that FINALLY Sd cards and such aren't being packaged in two square feet of plastic. That used to drive me crazy! </p>
<p>Oh! another example.....if cereal companies would switch to plastic bags instead of cardboard boxes, a huge amount of energy could be saved; from harvesting the pulp to transporting the largely empty space within the boxes. But then, what would children look at while they ate their chocolate frosted sugar bombs? How would disney and pixar advertise for their next movie?</p>
<p>Sorry for the rant.</p>
<p>But neatoburrito, the manufacture of plastic bags produces toxins. Plastic bags clog up landfills, and they're a hazard for wildlife. If there were plastic bags which were biodegradable, and produced without pollution, that would be a solution.</p>
<p>True, periwinkle. Does recycling of plastic also produce toxins? (Serious question, I don't know.) </p>
<p>It just seems like recycling alone isn't the solution and people tend to get all giddy and self-congratulatory about it. There has to be a better way. I don't know what that is exactly, and until someone smart comes up with the solution, we'll just have to continue to flatten and sort and use as little as possible. It seems like an awful lot of oil is expended to move air trapped in cardboard boxes around the country.</p>
<p>So....a task for all the science-oriented applicants....develop a biodegradable, non-toxic alternative to plastic!!! ;)</p>
<p>The problem: Tradeoffs. Nobody has the courage and the authority to make the ultimate decision and go with it.</p>
<p>italianboarder, i definitely agree with you on that last one. everyone else, thanks so much for the responses. keep them coming! id love to hear more opinions, thoughts, and future inventions anyone might have! haha, thank you!</p>