Beyond Waste home > Why Beyond Waste? > Myth 4. Today’s recycling solves the waste problem

Myth 4: Today’s recycling solves the waste problem

Just as landfills continue to provide an important service yet are not the ultimate waste solution, the same is true with recycling. Current recycling programs have demonstrated progress in collecting and sorting materials, but they do not successfully address long range problems of waste accumulation and resource depletion because:

• Most products are not designed for recycling so it can be difficult and expensive to recover and reprocess materials.
• Virgin material subsidies and the external costs not accounted for in our disposal practices place recyclable materials at an economic disadvantage compared to virgin materials.
• Many companies that call themselves recyclers, are actually waste-trading — exporting the materials to other venues where they are subsequently landfilled, or recycled under hazardous environmental and working conditions.

Recycling is a necessary component of diverting material from disposal facilities and reducing virgin material demand, but the current system is not wholly effective.

Current recycling programs... do not successfully address long range problems of waste accumulation and resource depletion

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