🚀 go-pugleaf

A few comments on this plastics recycling thread:

* The suggestion was made (tylerh@cco.caltech.edu (Tyler R. Holcomb)) that
  unit-pricing of solid waste ("pickup BY THE BARREL") would greatly help
  recycling of post-consumer plastics.  This is already the case in many
  areas, and some are considering charging for solid waste by weight.
  While these are good ideas, I think they help only marginally, if at all,
  to significantly increasing plastics recycling.

* ||> Plastics, even if they were being dumped in the landfill ||
  ||> are still a better option than paper products.           ||
  ||                                                           ||
  ||=o= Not inherently, and not in the long term.              ||

  Come on, folks -- making generalizations very sweeping doesn't make them
  any more true.  If you had a choice of several doctors, one of which said
  "I only use metallic products", one which said "I only use plastic products",
  and one which said "I only use biomass-produced products", which doctor
  would you choose?  Or might you think that the appropriate material
  depends on the use?  The same applies to materials and product use.

* The discussion seems to revolve around landfills and landfilling,
  as if that is the best way to organize thoughts on the idea.
  To actually influence manufacturers, retailers, consumers, etc.,
  I believe a much broader view is required that will have landfill
  issues present, but off in a corner.

Bruce Nordman
B_Nordman@lbl.gov