Hey, there! Log in / Register
Citizen complaint of the day: Who let Magritte near the recycling bins?
By adamg on Fri, 11/08/2013 - 11:46am
An incredulous citizen wonders who approved these ads for the Economist for the sides of city recycling bins, in this case the one in Union Square in Allston:
Not to be picky, but seriously?! Who approved a sign that contradicts the act of recycling ON a recycling container the city spent extra money on in gold faith? Come on now people....
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
learn to read CONTEXT
hey nit-wit concerned citizen; the ad refers to the fact that nothing is recycled (for example, information/ideas/opinions) in THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE, NOT THE TRASH/RECYCLING BIN!
nevermind the fact that THEY pay BOSTON for the rights to advertise on municipal property (for example, the trash/recycling bin)
COME ON (not-so-bright) PEOPLE!
I think it's possible that a
I think it's possible that a potential recycler would be confused into believing that this ad states that this is not a recycling bin. Especially from a distance, where the economist logo is less visible, and from the side, where the recycling slots aren't evident.
Oh, come on.
Fortunately, it's not the type of confusion that's likely to cause someone to, say, self-immolate, so I'd say it'll be fine to leave it alone.
However, it's not exactly the best publicity
for either the City of Boston or the Economist. Expect this one to show up on the various "stupid signs" threads you find on the Internet.
Personally, I find the contradiction very funny. It just proves how marketing executives and advertising types have no common sense.
How much is "gold faith" per
How much is "gold faith" per ounce?
this will make Jeff Jacoby proud
Jacoby from the Boston Globe will be very happy with this.
http://www.jeffjacoby.com/7981/the-waste-of-recycling
He poses a good question
I don't know if he's right or wrong on the efficiency of recycling - however - if it's so lucrative, why aren't people beating the city garbage trucks down the street - dumping my trash in a truck and absconding with the proceeds of selling this to a recycler? Even if it's illegal - if there's money to be made - someone would be doing it. Why aren't they?
Actually, they are
Ever notice the pickers come through?
We've got pickers every trash
We've got pickers every trash morning. They're looking for cans @ 5 cents each and any metal. I've never had anyone take my other recycling but if they could get money per pound of paper, cardboard and the like, it may be worth it.
Exactly.
Exactly.
The price of recycled paper has collapsed in recent years, but at its height, there were people trolling my neighborhoods taking anything and everything metallic before it hit the recycling trucks, and there were also vans running around stealing recycled paper. Cities were starting to complain about that because it was cutting into revenue.
Jacoby's a moron
he should sail the what's left of the Pacific someday and see the hundreds of miles of plastic in the Great Pacific garbage patch. And if there's no money in it, I was in Vegas two weeks ago and every casino and hotel actively encouraged you to dump whatever you wanted in the trash, as they went through it nightly and recycled. When I asked a manager why this policy was in effect, he told me they sell the stuff and casinos are all about the dollar.
If there's money in it
Why doesn't someone take a barge out and pull up the trash from the garbage patch - margins would have to be incredibly thin to make it not worth the cost of some fuel and labor.
It may be that there's money in it at an industrial scale (like a casino) - but the retail recycling is subsidized by the government.
My guess is the metals and glass may have some value because they are very energy and capital intensive to produce. The paper and plastic probably have different economics.
Someone told me once that actually most of our trash is sorted even if it's in the regular trash as opposed to the recycling so you could just chuck it all out together and most of the glass, metal, paper and plastic would get recycled anyway (makes sense if there's really money in it). Getting some of it presorted simply reduces the cost for the city/recycling company. I see all kinds of stuff in the recycling bin - so there is probably a fair amount of sorting and cleaning they need to do anyway.
Also correct on primary benefit of recycling
For most of us, the primary benefit to ourselves for recycling or reducing greenhouse gas is psychological. We get to feel more smug or better about ourselves and condescending towards those not acting as "good". The US contribution to greenhouse gas production is down from 16% in 2009, to 13% now. If you really want to lower your carbon footprint, turn your thermostat down to 60 or 50 degrees. Then you also get to feel like a martyr!
*headdesk*
I can hear the whooshing sound from across the river.
NOT ART
NOT ART
Those solar trash cans cost $3,500!
It takes deep pockets to pay for each one compared to passive trash cans at $200 each. I am surprised the Economist thought the ads were a good investment.
c'mon people
So here's how it works, trash (everything mixed together) costs about $80/ton to pick up and dispose of, recyclables cost about $35/ton, so recycling SAVES $45/ton, it doesn't MAKE money in the sense that there is a profit, it SAVES tipping fees to the tune of $45/ton. The Big Belly solar compactor cost big money but hold 8X the trash of regular outdoor trash cans (saving the number of times workers have to come by to empty) and are rodent-proof, picker-proof, and keep stuff from blowing around. Lesson over for today, no charge.
Pickers provide a service
Pickers pulling out returnables help keep the volume of trash down considerably, thus a valuable service at almost no charge. They collect the deposits that would otherwise sit a long time in escrow before getting taken by the state as abandoned property. Pickers generally are respectful and not spilling trash everywhere, so I and most everyone don't mind them doing what most of us are too lazy to do - turning in returnables.