SURVEY: Do you think recycling makes: a positive difference, no difference, or a negative difference?

It really depends. It cannot hurt to recycle, but once you drop off your cardboard and plastic and what not in the appropriately labeled dumpster, it's out of your hands. In my high school everyone used to recycle, and later on it was found out that the janitors just put all the recyclables in with the normal trash come garbage collecting time because it was too expensive for the school to recycle-- but there were still the "paper bins" in each class room and what not. Recycling can only do good, but you may want to make sure you are recycling as best you can and taking your stuff to reliable recycling sources that can guarantee you that the stuff won't just be thrown in with the trash.

Depends on how you look at it. I recycle household items to make educational activities for young children. I call it "Recycle to Educate." By recycling, even poor children can have educational actiivites at no cost. It is a win win situation. Check out my blog and let me know what you think. I have been adding 2 activities a week.

Definitely a positive difference. There are flaws with supply and demand of certain "recyclable' products but look at the Pacific Gyre. That is a negative result of dumping our **** wherever the hell we want. We need to do a bit more research as to what #plastics really get recycled and find out places that take the other ones. Or plain and simple don't buy the products or the packaging. Start voting with your wallet. Recycling brings people together to create new ideas at the company level, the neighborhood level, city level SF- Must Compost. That is the most normal thing I've heard why is it one of the largest cities does it and half the others don't even know what composting is? Recycling and even better reusing is a positive. Plus it makes you think twice about buying some plastic Bpa toy for your niece or nephew or how you food is packaged. Why not in a biodegradable container rather than something that will be around in 1000 yrs. I hope my county soon outlaws all plastic and paper bags like they had discussed. I've filled a duffle bag full of groceries and the bagger said that's nothing I saw a guy bring in his empty golf club bag and walk out with it filled up. Time to think out of the box. It is really as convenient as keeping a couple extra bags that you already own in your trunk or better yet your bike backpack or person! Logical No? I refuse bags even if I forgot mine I'll empty my cart into my car knowing damn well I forgot my bags at home and shame on me. Can I get a witness!

It is good only if it is cost effective or cost justified to recycle the item(s). If the costs of collecting, packing, transporting, converting, redistribution etc. exceed the cost of disposal, then forget it.

The current business model of recyclers is a subscription service whereby the homeowner pays for curbside pick up of recyclables. They sell the recyclables to help recoup their expenses but that's not necessary for their business model and when there isn't a market for the recyclables, it goes into the landfill. With so many people jumping on the recycling bandwagon and signing up for a recycling service, there has been an oversupply of recyclables on the market so the current recycling model makes a negative difference. If instead of paying for your recyclables to be picked up, you bought products made with recycled materials then you would be increasing demand for recyclable materials rather than increasing the supply. With enough demand, they would gladly collect the recyclables for free. With even more demand, they may pay you for your recyclables. If you really wanted to promote recycling, you wouldn't lobby for a blue or green box program but would just buy products made with recycled materials.

no difference.

a negative difference