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Recycling considered harmful?

Recycling considered harmful?. Yui-Wah (Clement) Lee leeyuiwah@gmail.com. A special seminar for World Oceans Day 2012. From the project “Journey to Midway” (3 mins 54 secs ). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai3IKO_afqs. Location of Midway Atoll – 2000 miles from any other continents.

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Recycling considered harmful?

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  1. Recycling considered harmful? Yui-Wah (Clement) Leeleeyuiwah@gmail.com A special seminar for World Oceans Day 2012

  2. From the project “Journey to Midway” (3 mins 54 secs) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai3IKO_afqs

  3. Location of Midway Atoll – 2000 miles from any other continents

  4. Life Magazine 1955 – “Throwaway Living”

  5. Debris boom on Ballona Creeknear Los Angeles

  6. Great Pacific Garbage Patch • The one in North Pacific: twice the size of Texas • Formed due to Gyre • Characterized by exceptionally high concentration of plastics, chemical sludge, and other marine debris

  7. Captain Charles Moore: On the Sea of Plastic (00:07:23) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrAShtolieg

  8. But I have been doing my part and recycling my plastics, haven’t I?

  9. Plastic: a few facts • Only 8 percents are recovered for recycling • The Resin Identification Coding System for plastic, was introduced by SPI, the plastics industry trade association. • “Contrary to common belief, just because a plastic product has the resin number in a triangle, which looks very similar to the recycling symbol, it does not mean it is collected for recycling.” -- US EPA • (Source: US Environmental Protection Agency [1])

  10. Limitation of recycling

  11. Our cafeteria: free drinking cups

  12. #6 (PS or Polystyrene) – notoriously difficult to recycle I am now lobbying Facilities Management to encourage employees to bring their own mugs to cafeteria PS (Polystyrene) is notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still do not accept it

  13. How about #1 (PETE) ? • Said to be the most readily recyclable type of plastic

  14. The story of bottled water (8 mins 3 secs) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0

  15. Water bottle recycling • Water bottles recycling rate: ~12-23% [1][2]

  16. Avoid bottled water

  17. Preparing for Hurricane Irene (Aug 2011) w/o bottled water

  18. Is the packaging environmental friendly?

  19. How about shopping bags?

  20. Try this on Chris Jordon’s website http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/rtn/#plastic-bags

  21. 60,000 plastic bags, the number used in the US every 5 seconds

  22. Plastic bag recycling • Plastic bags recycling rate: ~6% [3] • 57% of US post-consumer plastic bags are actually exported [3]

  23. Recycling considered harmful ? • “We have a recycling program”  Look at the fine print! • Recycling is good only if the use of the product is necessary. • Recycling is bad when it is used as an excuse to justify the use of unnecessary products • Recycling is bad when it gives a false sense of security Reduce or Recycle ?

  24. Plastic or Paper ? • That is a wrong question! • The answer should be “Neither of both” -- We can simply use reusable cloth bags or shopping baskets

  25. But I use the grocery bags to line my trash bin,so they are not wasted, are they?! • 5-bag rule • In addition to carryout bags, there are still bread and produce bags • Consider using produce bags to line trash bins

  26. A trash bin lined by produce bags

  27. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle + Rethinking • On top of the 3 R’s , I think another R is more important – Rethinking • Rethinking about the impact of our consumer habits

  28. From the documentary “Bag It” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRjPkl_4lmM

  29. Bonus videos

  30. Back to Tap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjyLABrtmqA#!

  31. Great Pacific Garbage Patch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsx3eTjdWgY

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