Re:'Moment of reckoning': US cities burn recyclables after C...
by fixvzbdjzis on Wednesday February 27, 2019 @12:52PM
(#19265268)
Well glass tastes better, so sure.
But the benefits are not obvious. If we assume diesel as a substitute good for plastic [1] then the additional weight of transporting glass could cause more waste (by burning additional diesel)
So, if a commmunity doesn’t have a local wash and refill center, it’s not obvious that plastic wins.
[1] you can make diesel from plastic (not easy, but probably easier than recycling mixed plastic). Assuming the plastic will go to the oceans otherwise, that’s a pretty good thing to do since diesel will get burned anyway and plastic is diverted from the seas.
But the benefits are not obvious. If we assume diesel as a substitute good for plastic [1] then the additional weight of transporting glass could cause more waste (by burning additional diesel)
So, if a commmunity doesn’t have a local wash and refill center, it’s not obvious that plastic wins.
[1] you can make diesel from plastic (not easy, but probably easier than recycling mixed plastic). Assuming the plastic will go to the oceans otherwise, that’s a pretty good thing to do since diesel will get burned anyway and plastic is diverted from the seas.