The Truth about Recycling
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Transcript of The Truth about Recycling
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THE TRUTH ABOUT RECYCLING HOLLY FRETWELLMONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY, ADJUNCT INSTRUCTORPERC, RESEARCH FELLOW
Museum of the Rockies, Harry H.janke board roomJune 20, 2013 (6:30-8pm)
ECNS 594 Current Issues in Economics
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Holly L. FretwellNote: Data collection by Dan Benjamin, reused with permission. Reference to PERC PS No 47, 2010. Any errors or omissions are my own.
Available at: PERC.org
- Moral imperative or - resource
conservation?
WHY RECYCLE?
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MOBRO 4000 (1987)(AKA, THE GARBAGE BARGE)
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Why Recycle?
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GARBAGE (RUBBISH/TRASH): A BY-PRODUCT OF PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION- Dump it (landfill)- Burn it (incinerate)- Recycle it (re-use, remanufacture)
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RESOURCE OR RUBBISH?Rubbish (waste): an undesirable by-product of production or consumption.
Resource: an item that provides value for use – where the costs of reuse < value added by reuse
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Yes (recycle) + Resource
High Transportation
Cost-
if cost > valueRubbish
Yes (reuse) + Resource
High Labor Cost
If dirty
- if opportunity
cost > valueRubbish
No (hazardous
waste) - Rubbish
Resource or Rubbish?
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Fact or Fiction?1. Are we running out of landfill space?2. Is our trash poisoning us?3. Does packaging waste resources?4. Must firms be mandated to decrease packaging?5. Are we are running out of resources? 6. Does recycling save resources? (e.g. recycling paper
saves trees)7. Is recycling beneficial for the environment?8. Do recycling mandates enhance efficiency of resource use?
(e.g., is curbside recycling pick up a low cost method to recycle?)
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RECYCLING MYTHS1. Our trash will bury us.
• Are we running out of landfill space?
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1985
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0
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9000
7,683 7,9
24
7,379
6,326
5,812
5,386
4,482
3,558
3,197
3,091
2,514
2,314
2,216
1,967
1,858
1,767
1,754 2,0
09
Are We Running Out of Landfill Space?
Num
ber o
f Lan
dfill
s
Source: Number of landfills from: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/basicinfo.htm; National average tipping fees from: http://www.environmentalistseveryday.org/docs/Tipping-Fee-Bulletin-2005.pdf.
N.A. N.A.N.A.
N.A.: Data not available.
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Are We Running Out of Landfill Space?
7,683 7,9
24
7,379
6,326
5,812
5,386
4,482
3,558
3,1973,0
91
2,514
2,3142,2
16
1,9671,8
581,7
671,7
54 2,009$13.30
$17.33
$24.88
$28.58
$34.39
$39.48
$35.43$36.59
$36.31
$37.20
$31.86
0
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198519
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Number of
Landfills
$0.00
$5.00
$10.00
$15.00
$20.00
$25.00
$30.00
$35.00
$40.00
$45.00
Average Tipping Fee per
Ton (adjusted for
inflation; real 2005 dollars)
Source: Number of landfills from: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/basicinfo.htm; National average tipping fees from: http://www.environmentalistseveryday.org/docs/Tipping-Fee-Bulletin-2005.pdf.
N.A. N.A.N.A.
N.A.: Data not available.
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RECYCLING MYTHS1. Our trash will bury us.2. Our trash will poison us.
• Cancer Risk from 70 year land fill exposure 1 in 10 billion (~1 every 50 years)
• Cancer Risk of 1 in 1 million for: • smoking 1.4 cig/yr• travel 300 mi by car/10 by bike• live 2 days in Boston
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1. Our trash will bury us.2. Our trash will poison us.3. Packaging wastes resources.
4. Should Firms be mandated to decrease packaging?
Recycling Myths
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RECYCLING MYTHS1. Our trash will bury us.2. Our trash will poison us3. Packaging wastes resources4. Firms must be mandated to decrease packaging5. We’re running out of resources
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It’s not the input (metal, oil, gas. . . ) that we want,
rather what it does for us!
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RESOURCE OR RUBBISH?http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/aluminumrecyclingprices.html
Aluminum Recycling Prices / The Stats One of the most common statistics stated about aluminum recycling is that Americans throw away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild the entire national commercial air fleet.
Imagine that amount of wasted resource! This makes it obvious and imperative that recycling saves natural resources. . .
This statement is: True.
False.
Just because you can make something else with the material does not mean it saves resources to re-use it.
It is only a resource if the benefit of re-use is equal to or outweighs the cost at the margin.
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RECYCLING MYTHS1. Our trash will bury us.2. Our trash will poison us3. Packaging wastes resources4. We’re running out of resources5. Recycling saves resources and protects the
environment
Does recycling paper saves trees?
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RECYCLING MYTHS1. Our trash will bury us.2. Our trash will poison us3. Packaging wastes resources4. We’re running out of resources5. Recycling saves resources and protects the
environment
6. Do recycling mandates enhance efficiency of resource use? (e.g., is curbside recycling pick up a low cost method to recycle?)
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Bozeman Daily Chronicle July 17, 2011
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WHEN DOES RECYCLING MAKE SENSE?-Commercial level-When uses less energy & raw materials than primary manufacturing
- Firms will realize the cost saving-Where MSB ≥ MSC
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RUBBISH OR RESOURCE?Rubbish (waste): an undesirable by-product of production or consumption.
Resource: an item that provides value for use – where the costs of reuse < value added by reuse.
economically speaking: where MSC ≤ MSB