Landfill is underrated and recycling overrated
We really shot ourselves in the foot with this whole pointless &quot;recycling paper and plastic&quot; thing huh?<p>The convenience of throwing something away is a triumph of modern civilization and one of life&#x27;s little pleasures, and we had to ruin it by acting like it&#x27;s wrong when it&#x27;s actually not.<p>When I walk up to some wastebins holding a papery-plasticky object with a bit of food stuck to it, my heart sinks. Now I have to think about classifying it into one of 2-4 inconsistent-looking bins, and I feel guilty that the classification isn&#x27;t perfect - which would be okay if it was for a good cause, but the whole concept of recycling paper and plastic was a net-negative to begin with.<p>Recycling is one of those things that feels like it solves a problem but doesn&#x27;t at all - like hybrid cars, US-style airport security, or donating cans of food.