09.24.09
Kudos for Wheat Thins, Kraft Foods, and Terracycle: Recycling in America (Part 2)
September 24, 2009
As I was reading up on the subject of recycling, I found an article “The Compelling Facts About Plastics 2007” which was a report about the efforts going on in Europe regarding recycling plastics. The report covered 27 member states of the European Plastic Converters group plus Norway and Switzerland (EU27+NO/CH). This report had some amazing facts about their progress with recycling garbage, to the point that in some areas they are nearing complete diversion from landfill use. They “now recover more than 80% of their waste” through recycling into products or using for energy. The article goes on to say, specifically with plastics that 50% of all plastics across these European states are recycled in some way, 20.4% recycled into products and 29.2% used as energy recovery. In comparison, the latest U.S. figures (2008 State of Garbage in America report) showed that only 31% of the total waste headed toward landfills is getting recycled. Only 14% is used as energy recovery and 55% continues to the landfill. If this European group can recycle more than 80% of their total waste, we can do better than 45%. It was noted in the above article that the need for recycled plastics is growing in demand. Greater demand means industry and jobs. Germany has made a passenger ferry from plastics and glue. Imagine what other recycled products, large and small can come from the plastics or other material we now dump in landfills if we put our best effort into it. Not to mention the progress in the energy industry if we recycled any other possible resource into energy.
The EU27+NO/CH group has and continues to define ways for Europe to make full use of their resources (including garbage or solid waste as a resource). This group has developed a process with a hierarchy regarding the way they think and go about recycling. “The hierarchy for improving resource efficiency is (in descending priority order): Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover Energy, Disposal.” This sentence really broadened my concept of the recycling process. The much more inclusive and appropriate term is “improving resource efficiency”. I am afraid many Americans share my microscopic definition of recycling, which in the hierarchy above is really just the reusing step. Notice there is one step before reuse and that is reduce. Americans don’t like that word either. We are so spoiled with our big houses, big cars and having more of everything. The third step “recycle” which is actually using plastics and other garbage to make needed products that are in high demand. The next step is just as important, “recover energy”, meaning using non product recyclable garbage to make energy of some type. The last step is in the right place in the hierarchy, “disposal”. I think many people in our country think disposal first and that’s it. Some of us, including me, may reuse some things, thinking we are actually recycling. The fourth step, recover energy, while some of it goes on in our country, most of us don’t have a clue what it means much less who does it, how or where. So we have a long way to go before such becomes household conversation. The topic can get very technical and in depth as we in America make our attempts at defining and proceeding with “improving resource efficiency”.
Perhaps we can borrow some ideas from the Europeans about resource efficiency, as it seems they have been doing it for years. Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes. The Europeans have experienced the necessity. Maybe, with new industries like Terracycle and companies like Kraft and others jumping in, that it is a sign Americans are beginning to see the necessity for change as well. We’ve talked about it for years but have done little compared to what is needed. There are two good reasons to move forward quickly, the most important being the well being of our environment and planet. Secondly, the Europeans have proven not only can resource efficiency be done, but it can be done with costs efficiency as well.
So Kudos to Wheat Thins, Kraft Foods, Terracycle and others joining the mission. I now am compelled to join the “resource efficiency” mission by looking for a place to take recyclable items today! My grandsons will go with me. They need to learn as well how to really recycle, not just reuse and dump. Will you join me?
