MORE ON MY VIEWS ON RECYCLING

Following my last post on recycling, I got two comments back (from my usual readers- all of them!) I have edited them, and here they are for reference:-

Divemaster GranDad said...

That's the sad part of recycling. It's seen as expensive and thus not worth the time and effort. I think that if the right products are manufactured in the first place, recycling will be at a minimal straight away, but for any residual waste, that can be recycled easily. Unfortunately, humans are wasteful creatures that want maximum return on as little investment as possible, and damn the environment in the process. 

Fishman said...

But it also depends on the availability of the waste. If it is used in road construction for example, how will you get the it to the construction site? I know they had this idea to recycle used tyres to add to bitumen for road laying. But the transport cost did not make it viable.

So, the reality is that as these resources become more scarce, and as the world recognizes that the continued poisoning of the environment cannot continue, the motivation for the recycling of product will grow.
In the example of tyres, from Fishman, the tyre manufacturers will be tasked to ensure that every tyre that is replaced is returned to them / a central collection point. The manufacturers could, in turn, elect a 3rd party at a central point and make them responsible for this. This would ensure greater numbers of old tyres coming to a single repository  thereby making the next steps to recycling more cheaper, and viable. The permit to conduct business in country could be linked to the proof of recycling! I know it may impact on the cost of the tyre, but at least it will happen.

This might sound a bit out there,but consider the following:-
Olive oil manufacturers will soon have to be able to prove that they have disposed of the waste from their production in a controlled, and environmentally friendly manner. If not, they will be fined, and their production permit revoked! Yup, they have for years just dug the stuff back into the ground, thinking it would rot away, and become "compost". Well, guess what - it does not. In fact, the ground becomes so saturated with oil, that nothing will grow there again for a very, very long time!
Wine producers will be faced with the same problem with the waste product after they have pressed their wine. The waste, which used to be dug into the ground, has now been proven to raise acidity levels to beyond acceptable, and it is having a negative effect on the quality of the soil!
And so with most other products / manufacturers. Internationally, motor car manufacturers are being pressed to design their vehicles so that most of it can be recycled once it reaches end of life.

I know that for now it's going to be difficult to motivate, so, the powers that be will legislate. And maybe, in 3rd world countries they may be a bit relaxed about these issues, and some would say it would be difficult to police, but there are ways and means. Soon enough, it becomes the norm, as creating all this waste has become the norm.

Just my thoughts and opinion.

Salagatle!