Anti-Recycling Myths
Excerpts from 1996
Environmental Defense
257 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010
Anti-recycling myth #1: The modern recycling movement is a product of a false "crisis" in landfill space created by the media and environmentalists.
Fact: Concentrating on landfill space misses the point. The greatest environmental benefits of recycling occur in reducing natural resource damage and pollution that arise when extracting virgin raw materials and manufacturing new products.
Anti-recycling myth #2: Landfills are innocuous.
Fact: Landfills can be major sources of water and air pollution.
Anti-recycling myth #3: Landfill space is cheap and abundant.
Fact: Landfill space is a commodity, priced according to supply
and demand. The majority of the growth of recycling in the United States
has occurred in populated regions where landfills are expensive relative
to the U.S. average.
Anti-recycling myth #4: Recycling should pay for itself.
Fact: We do not expect landfills or incinerators to pay for
themselves, nor should we expect this of recycling. The real issue is
how the costs that recycling adds to the system over the long term
compare to those of alternative methods of waste management. Taking an
accounting "snap shot" of recycling costs early in the life of
existing programs is misleading, because of substantial efficiencies
that are being gained as these programs innovate and mature. Current
experience shows that well-run community recycling programs can be
cost-competitive with disposal options, as are the vast majority of
commercial recycling programs.
Anti-recycling myth #5: There are no markets for recyclable materials.
Fact: Recycling is not just an alternative to traditional solid waste disposal, it is the foundation for large, robust manufacturing industries in the United States that use recyclable materials. These businesses are an important part of our economy and provide the market foundation for the entire recycling process. The volume of the major scrap materials sold in domestic and global markets is growing steadily. As with all commodities, prices fluctuate over time.
Anti-recycling myth #6: Recycling doesn't "save trees" because we are growing at least as many trees as we cut specifically to make paper.
Fact: Recycling reduces the pressure to turn natural forests into
tree farms, creating substantial environmental and economic benefits.
This effect is even more pronounced when paper recycling is viewed on a
global level.
Anti-recycling myth #7: Stringent U.S. regulations ensure that the environmental harms of manufacturing and using products are incorporated into their prices.
Fact: Many of the costs that arise from environmental impacts of
virgin materials extraction, manufacturing, consumption and disposal are
not included in prices paid when products are bought and sold.
Anti-recycling myth #8: Misguided laws and regulations compel manufacturers to make costly changes in their packaging and products.
Fact: The asserted influence of legislation on the character of
production processes, products and packaging is grossly overstated. The
vast majority of environmental improvements that manufacturers have made
in products and packaging are cost-cutting measures or voluntary
responses to customer demand.
Anti-recycling myth #9: Recycling is nearing its maximum potential.
Fact: There remains enormous room for growth in recycling -- even
for the most-recycled materials. Composting also holds strong potential,
and we're just getting started on waste reduction, the most important
step of all.
Anti-recycling myth #10: Recycling is a time-consuming burden on the American public.
Fact: Convenient, well-designed recycling programs allow Americans
to take action in their daily lives to reduce the environmental impact
of the products they consume. Informing citizens of the costs of their
own consumption and disposal activities through "pay as you
throw" user fees makes economic and environmental sense -- but only
if viable recycling and composting programs are in place.