Trash Myths

Posted on July 28, 2009 in Consumer Goods, The Environment

Americans are hooked on recycling. It’s the responsible choice in every household now, but that doesn’t stop the myths about its effectiveness from arising. While recycling is a positive force that helps reduce waste, myths have sprung up about rubbish disposal and the effectiveness of recycling.

One of the greatest myths surrounding trash disposal is that we are running out of room to dispose of our rubbish. According to a report by the Property and Environment Research Center, while landfills aren’t the ideal method of trash disposal, there is no shortage of room. A landfill of ten square miles is estimated more than capable of holding all of the United State’s solid waste for the next century.

Another myth is that packaging is 100% bad for the environment. The slimmer, lighter packaging that has been adopted (30% less volume in soda bottles for example) makes packaging as efficient as before and cuts down on landfill space required. Packaging is significant because it enables commercial production, which reduces the overall amount of waste. It prevents breakage and waste, food contamination and waste, and greatly reduces the reports of food poisoning. When raw meat is commercially packaged, 1000 lbs. of meat uses less than 20 lbs. of packaging, and produces many pounds of useful byproducts like dog food. The average American household produces less waste than the average Mexican household, and the reason is efficient packaging.

One last myth about trash disposal and recycling is that recycling only conserves resources. However, recycling is still a manufacturing process. This means that not only does it consume resources such as fuel and raw materials (the percentage of the product that does not come from recycled materials); it also produces wastes and other byproducts. Developing more efficient means of recycling can reduce this concern. Trash disposal and recycling are right to be a priority for responsible consumers, especially in the United States where there are more resources than ever to reduce the amount of waste.