All Roads Lead to Cornithaca

“Going to hell in a handbasket” Sticker

It’s not a knock on recycling; it’s a knock on “glossy thinking” — the kind of thinking that glosses over the difficulties. • While recycling is a worthwhile concept; re-using is preferable. The original plastic milk carriers had many generations of re-use because they were constructed for every-day use. Today’s flimsier store reproductions crack and break and are usually thrown out instead of recycled; the original carriers were scavenged whenever they were spotted. A plastic tub pickle container may be too thin and permanently branded to inspire re-use — but double the thickness, and use easily removable branding, and they would have a long life for plants, projects, or a multi-use container. • There should be a preference to use materials that are the least harmful if they are not recycled, and the least environmentally harmful/energy wasteful to manufacture and recycle. Glass would be preferred material. • Isn’t something made of 50% Recycled Materials with 100% of the material produced being recycled; better than made of 100% Recycled Materials with 50% of the material produced being recycled. Human nature prefers easy — if people have to drive 15 miles to recycle a couple of flashlight batteries; how likely are they to end up in the garbage instead? • Ran out of space, but words are 100% recyclable.