Andrew McAfee on Misconceptions About Recycling 

The idea that a finite resource that has no environmental benefits (plastic bags) has a lower environmental impact than a renewable resource with environmental benefits (hemp bags) is extremely laughable. Are the environmental benefits of hemp considered? Here’s two big ones: carbon sequestration and soil improvement. How much soil does a plastic bag improve? Does it improve the environment in any way? Production and distribution methods can always be improved for both products, but plastic can never be a renewable resource or improve the planet. Billions of people dependent on finite resources with no environmental benefits is probably not a great idea. Just sayin.

No discussion of recycling metal? Paper?

I could could get into this topic for hours and have first hand knowledge of the pitfalls of our misconceptions of recycling. When I was running the recycle program I had to be very careful of where the materials were going. Nothing could go to China. especially electronics. They harvest your data, strip the parts off of old stuff like TV's and use them in manufacturing new ones. Plus what ever cant be recycled is usually dumped at sea. All plastics can be turned back into oil but the process is very expensive. Not making it feasible. Paper is also not profitable and usually ends up in landfills. The companies charge you to take the materials and store them until there is a high enough price to sell them. If they run out of space or the cost of storage is more than they can make off of them they just go to the landfill. All of these materials can be used as fuels to produce electricity but when the cost of coal or fossil fuels are less and are cleaner to use because of pollution standards they just get dumped.

Very interesting & informative discussion. I'm very sad, though, to hear you both so quickly dismiss a "zero waste" lifestyle. Many people who follow this lifestyle are actually low waste or low plastic waste. From my research, one of the main tenants of low waste living is being more minimal & consuming less. It's not that far of a leap to switch thinking from minimal to low waste.

Why is the onus on the consumer to solve a problem I never even asked to tackle? I didn’t ask for my apples, grapes and bananas to be wrapped and packaged in plastic. I didn’t ask for beverage companies to switch from glass to plastic. Seems like the problem has been pushed downstream to the consumer to solve. Why not change up the problem and force manufacturers, distributors and retailers to solve these issues? Take the individuals out of the equation and solve it at the corporate level. I do realize consumers have power in choice and individuals have a say when we vote. So why not think about impacting the issue from a law and regulation standpoint and move away from individuals being responsible? Obviously we all agree the current household/individual recycling programs are failing our planet. I don’t hear many people talking about forcing manufacturers to change their ways.

This is unfortunate, but more people need to know this

I used to run a recycling program for one of the largest companies in the world. Doing so my eyes were opened to a lot when in comes to green. The only material that is cost effective to recycle are metals. It is different in different places but over all. Plastics and foams are the worst. Also the push for green energy. Solar panels and batteries. Solar panels use more energy to produce then they will create in their lifetime. Batteries for your electric or hybrid cars destroy the planet. If you don't believe that look at satellite pictures of lithium mines. Yes we can all agree that fossil fuels are bad but when compared to the alternative its a clean fuel. Plus if you think an electric car is better for the environment you are sadly mistaken. Think how stressed our power grids are now with everyone having a computer and smart phone. The amount of infrastructure to support them and the internet. But then add charging your car with power from a coal or other fossil fuel burning power plant. Most green technologies have serious flaws that are devastating to the planet. Hydro electric destroys ecosystems and habitat. The same is true for wind farms. Also if you have to buy a car, buy used. Not only are you saving money by not paying the depreciation you are also not adding to the problem by reusing a car. The amount of pollution involved in manufacturing a new car is amazing. The only answer is less. Less cars, less waste, less use of electricity. Less is more.

Just wanted to say, cause it's been bothering me for few days what You guys had implied here. It really isn't so hard to go zero waste! I did pretty much overnight once i've realised the flaws of recycling. It's been 1,5 year now and i live better, eat healtier, never have to go on a diet, any inconveniance doesn't really seem like one because i feel im doing the right thing. It's just the matter of figuring it all out for yourself and then it becomes the new routine. I miss none, n o n e of the things i can't get unpackaged now, which amazes even me. So saying it's such a hard thing to do makes it look like zero wasters are these green weirdos who abuse themselves and whip themselves to sleep just to stop their neverending dreams about takeaway or a bag of crisps from the supermarket. No! It's really pretty casual and not that difficut! I'd encourage anyone to try.

Wow. Makes you think about some things. I'm going to have to look into this some more and see if I need to rethink some things

Recycling is a culture. Just look to the Japanese for reference. 🙂

Okay 1) he only talked about plastic recycling and ignored glass and metals and 2) zero waste lifestyles are much harder than plastic-free lifestyles. But both of them would be much easier if governments invested in eco-friendly products and education campaigns.

Wow! I knew recycling was far from perfect but it is so sobering to hear someone talking about the false sense of security we have given ourselves in regards to non plastic products purely because they are not plastic! I work in a shop that uses paper bags and people think that they don't have to bring their own bags because they are not being handed an evil plastic bag! Even people with handbags or backpacks that are not that full love to get a paper bag 😒

very interesting, thank you both so much!

Damn this is bonkers

Is that the guy who argues that western countries consume less materials goods than others, because he used data that does not take into account the materials used in imported productions (Domestic material consumption) ? Like... really ?

Never seen in the U.K. any council or government literature advising that plastic bags are recycled. Is this a USA thing? There is advise to reduce and reuse plastic bags when shopping. The main recycling is for paper, metal, glass, cardboard.

Interesting. THANKS