May 2013
WASTED WASTE
How crazy is it that the US landfills $11.4 billion in recyclable packaging materials every year? Plenty
crazy. From cardboard shoe boxes to plastic detergent bottles, from Styrofoam fast food containers
to cardboard egg cartons, from metals to those ubiquitous PET water bottles, our landfills are
filling up with recoverable, recyclable packaging materials while driving up the cost of virtually
everything we buy.
This sad story is that it is happening everywhere - in homes, offices, public buildings, backyards
and supermarkets. Major US institurions, incuding the Defense Department contribute more than
their fair share as do the smallest entrepreneurial elements of the US business community. It
is happening literally in front of our eyes, every day. It's getting worse, not better,
despite decades of attention. Sadly, it seems that throwing packaging "away" is still a
huge part of American culture.
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