[WI Conservative 4 Bush]

Well, I've not studied the science or economics of recycling. I also, as a conservative, have big problems with the environmentalist movement (they've screwed up domestic oil drilling, transportation issues, etc.)

However, recycling is something I've actually enjoyed doing over the years. I actually get some small satisfaction knowing that my aluminum cans, plastic bottles and newspapers are going to be reused as opposed to filling up the local land fill.

Interestingly, if you take diapers out of my family's garbage production, our recycling volume is greater than our regular garbage volume. I think that's kind of cool.

Part of my conservatism has always been to not be wasteful. So, my family recycles enthusiastically. At the same time, I'm not into telling other people they should be exactly like me. That, I think, is the way recycling should be. Allow people to do their part, but don't come down like a ton of bricks on the people who choose not to. THAT would be wasting resources... Just me own $.02.

[shhrubbery!]

recycling is something I've actually enjoyed doing over the years. I actually get some small satisfaction knowing that my aluminum cans, plastic bottles and newspapers are going to be reused as opposed to filling up the local land fill.

I know many people like this, including relatively conservative talk show host, Curtis Sliwa, of WABC radio in NYC.

The priests and priestesses of the so-called environmental movemnet have made acolytes of so many! Don't you, as a conservative (presumably, by your screen name), see the absurdity of adopting this 'feel good,' but futile and even counterproductive doctrine?

[RushLake]

However, recycling is something I've actually enjoyed doing over the years. I actually get some small satisfaction knowing that my aluminum cans, plastic bottles and newspapers are going to be reused as opposed to filling up the local land fill.

A few years back, American Spectator Magazine had an article about recycling. What the author of the piece found out was that a lot of the trash hauling contractors pay lip service to recycling when they deal with municipalities. When the recycled goods go down the road to wherever that stuff gets centralized, its often centralized into the same hole in the ground as your other household garbage.

I was watching the recycling truck recently from an upstairs window. The guy jumped out of the cab, grabbed our orange bin containing newspaper, tin cans, plastic containers (only #2), looked around presumably to assure no witnesses, and threw it all into one of the sections on the truck.

[kidd]

Recycling aluminum makes complete sense. The cost of processing aluminum from bauxite is enormous in comparison to recycling costs. It makes economic sense.

Recycling batteries and motor oil also makes sense because it keep highly toxic mateials out of the environment.

However, recycling paper and cardboard makes no sense whatsoever. The market for recyled paper is primarily an artificial guilt-driven "get-involved" market. It doesn't save trees; trees used for paper are generally not "wild" or "old-growth" - rather they are trees that are specifically planted by the paper industry that are harvested for their specific characteristics. By using recycled paper products, you discourage the planting of these trees by the paper industry.

[blackdog]

I hate to burst your bubble, but all that recycling you have been doing just goes right to the same landfill as your dirty diapers. The deal was done just to get federal monies to get recycling going. The only thing recycled are the aluminum cans.

Sorry!

[homeschool mama]

In total agreement...freepmail coming shortly.