WEBVTT - Is recycling a complete scam? (PART 2) 0:00:00.000 --> 0:00:01.920 All right, folks, this is part two of our show 0:00:01.920 --> 0:00:04.480 on recycling. So if you haven't heard part one yet, 0:00:04.800 --> 0:00:06.880 stop what you're doing and click in to part one 0:00:07.440 --> 0:00:16.120 then come back here. Okay, all right, on with the show. 0:00:24.440 --> 0:00:25.560 I'm Anny, I'm Noah. 0:00:25.680 --> 0:00:27.600 This is Devin and this is no such thing, the 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:30.080 show where you settle our dumb arguments and yours by 0:00:30.120 --> 0:00:34.320 actually doing the research previously on No such thing is 0:00:34.360 --> 0:00:37.920 recycling a scam. We heard from Davis Allen from the 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:40.480 Center for Climate Integrity, who walked us through the history 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:44.080 of plastic recycling and told us why research shows recycling 0:00:44.159 --> 0:00:46.040 just isn't worth the investment when you look at the 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:49.040 environmental costs involved and the low percentage of plastic that 0:00:49.120 --> 0:00:50.200 actually gets recycled. 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:54.800 The recycling thing is a distraction. It's not anything to 0:00:54.840 --> 0:00:58.360 do with the actual problem. 0:00:58.600 --> 0:01:01.080 Time jump. It's now a few weeks later. We were 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:03.440 pretty shocked by what Davis told us, but us here 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:05.640 at nsd h Q thought we had to hear from 0:01:05.640 --> 0:01:08.520 the pro recycling side. So Devin and I went to 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:11.320 a recycling center here in Brooklyn to see what's happening 0:01:11.319 --> 0:01:12.200 to my coke bottles. 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:18.680 There's no no such things, No such thank. 0:01:20.520 --> 0:01:21.680 Such, thank. 0:01:23.480 --> 0:01:24.680 Touch, thank. 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:27.600 Touch, thank. 0:01:31.280 --> 0:01:31.480 So. 0:01:31.920 --> 0:01:35.920 Devon and I went on a field trip to investigate recycling. 0:01:35.959 --> 0:01:38.040 Further, I was jealous of this one. I wish I 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:38.720 could have joined. 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:42.760 Well, now it'll be like you joined us. 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:49.480 My name is Karen Napolitano. 0:01:49.600 --> 0:01:53.040 I am the education director for Circular Services out at 0:01:53.040 --> 0:01:58.760 the Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility. We receive all the metal, glass, plastic, 0:01:58.800 --> 0:02:01.360 and curtain recycling for all of the homes and all 0:02:01.360 --> 0:02:03.840 of the public schools and almost all of New York 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:06.560 City right here. And it's our job at this facility 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:09.880 to sort through those materials. Then we compress them into 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:12.920 bales like that little robot Lollie from that movie. And 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:15.720 then we sell the bails to companies that use the products. 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:18.160 They prepare them to become new products and use them again. 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:20.560 Basically, we went through like what the little kids get 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:22.919 on the tour first, which was actually very helpful. Yeah, 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:28.280 and then we saw the real thing. 0:02:29.720 --> 0:02:33.280 So we are a mirf. We're a materials recovery facility, 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:35.840 which is a sorting facility for recyclables. 0:02:36.280 --> 0:02:37.639 We're a pretty fancymurf. 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:39.960 We are considered state of the art. 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:42.840 Just a quick note here. This MIRF is in Brooklyn, 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:45.520 so we're following New York rules and processes. As far 0:02:45.560 --> 0:02:48.680 as recycling goes, This stuff varies county by county across 0:02:48.720 --> 0:02:51.040 the country, So for specifics, you should look up your 0:02:51.040 --> 0:02:54.040 own area to find out how recycling is happening, because 0:02:54.040 --> 0:02:55.919 it will and all likely it would be at least 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:59.080 a little bit different than here in New York. Materials 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:01.480 arrive from all across a city on a barge or 0:03:01.480 --> 0:03:05.560 a truck. This center handles metal, plastic, glass, and cartons. 0:03:06.000 --> 0:03:09.880 Paper is supposed to go elsewhere. All this trash is 0:03:09.880 --> 0:03:12.480 placed in a big pot or all this is all 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:18.440 of this refuse perhaps is placed in a big All 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:22.080 this material is placed in a big pile, then pushed 0:03:22.240 --> 0:03:26.440 into the actual sorting process. Glass is smashed up into 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:28.760 small pieces so it can filter out away from the 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:33.400 plastic and metal. Magnets grab the metal and non magnetic 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:37.320 metals are sorted with eddy currents. Then optical sorders send 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:41.000 out near infrared beams. They can read what the other 0:03:41.040 --> 0:03:43.320 items are made out of. So it shoots a laser 0:03:43.480 --> 0:03:45.720 essentially at a piece of plastic and says, okay, this 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:47.720 is this type of plastic. Send it over here. This 0:03:47.760 --> 0:03:48.760 is the send it over there. 0:03:48.880 --> 0:03:49.120 Wow. 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:51.480 Once it knows which one it is, then different air 0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:55.280 beams shoot them in the right direction. It's an incredibly 0:03:55.320 --> 0:03:57.520 complex system. It's amazing. Yeah. So all of this is 0:03:57.560 --> 0:04:00.920 basically happening big pile. Then they put into these shoots 0:04:00.920 --> 0:04:03.320 that then these different sorting things happen. So there's like 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:05.880 grinders that are breaking up the glass, so that gets 0:04:05.880 --> 0:04:08.840 it out of there. Then the magnets take the metal away. 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:09.200 Yeah. 0:04:10.360 --> 0:04:12.880 And the idea is that the grinder is only gonna 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:14.560 break glass because of the way glass. 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:16.440 Yeah, it's not doing it, so it breaks into small 0:04:16.440 --> 0:04:18.120 pieces of that gets rid of that. Okay, it's a 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:21.400 filtering exactly. So it's filtering step by step for different types. 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:21.760 Yeah. 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:23.960 Then these laser beams are going okay, that's that's the 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:26.440 number three. We're gonna send the air to shoot it 0:04:26.440 --> 0:04:28.839 over this direction. Okay, it's kind of it's amazing. Yeah, 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:31.520 and we're gonna put video of this on our newsletter. 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:33.000 So a lot of this is automated. 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:36.599 Human interaction is fairly light at our facility. It's just 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:40.599 at the end of the process, whereas some smaller facilities 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:42.280 might use humans more so in the. 0:04:42.240 --> 0:04:47.120 Process, care even said they have some AI robotics in use, 0:04:47.160 --> 0:04:48.800 and then there's a few people you can see in 0:04:48.839 --> 0:04:51.360 the different parts of the facility to kind of check 0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:54.920 up on stuff. So once everything's sorted, then they bail 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:55.320 it up. 0:04:55.680 --> 0:04:58.200 Then we have our WALLI moment, we make our bails. 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:01.680 So you see all this sort of recyclables they dump 0:05:01.720 --> 0:05:05.280 into a bunker. When the bunker is full, it feeds 0:05:05.279 --> 0:05:09.320 into the bailer. The bailer compresses the recyclables from all 0:05:09.360 --> 0:05:12.240 sides and they pop out in the nice bail that's 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:15.880 held together with steel cabling. And that is what we 0:05:16.000 --> 0:05:19.000 sell SOMRPHS Material recovery facilities. 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:20.760 They sort and they bail. 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:24.000 And sell the bails and sell it to whoever's looking 0:05:24.040 --> 0:05:27.320 for said material to reuse. It's not like directly to 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:30.680 like a Coca Cola or Nestle. It's like a intermediary 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:33.479 company I see who kind of gets in there and 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:35.560 deals with that, okay. 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:39.560 And the company will break the material down further so. 0:05:39.480 --> 0:05:43.400 That it's yeah, because right now they're just getting a 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:45.039 big bail and it's just like you just took all 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:49.000 this stuff and compare cartes. Yeah, exactly, so just piles 0:05:49.000 --> 0:05:52.880 and piles of that. Something I didn't know is that 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:57.880 soft plastics like plastic bags cannot be recycled. 0:05:59.680 --> 0:06:02.200 Soft plastics like plastic like a grocery bag. 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:04.840 Grocery bag, you're just like, you know, shrink wrap on 0:06:05.000 --> 0:06:07.880 a on a thing, like, don't don't put that in your. 0:06:07.880 --> 0:06:11.440 I guess is that why like New York could band yeah. 0:06:11.240 --> 0:06:14.840 Plastical, which makes sense of course when I hear it 0:06:14.920 --> 0:06:17.720 like this, but I just assumed, yeah, I don't need 0:06:17.720 --> 0:06:21.040 this bat like I just thought, I don't know, and 0:06:21.360 --> 0:06:23.400 we could see on the thing like it would get 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:25.600 basically because like so many these things are rollers or whatever, 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:28.359 the soft plastic would just then wrap around the beam. 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:32.160 So is the only reason that plastic can't be recycled 0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:35.040 because their machine would get sucked up, they can't have it. 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:37.720 I think that's one piece, but I don't think it's 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:39.720 the main reason. I think it's mainly like it's so 0:06:39.720 --> 0:06:41.960 soft that it's like you can't really break it down, and. 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:45.920 Plastic only the grades the more you recycle it. Once 0:06:45.960 --> 0:06:47.680 you get to that point. 0:06:48.440 --> 0:06:51.640 One more quick note on the plastic bag soft plastic thing. Again, 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:53.760 this varies based on where you are but here in 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:56.560 New York, while bags shouldn't be put in household recycling, 0:06:56.839 --> 0:07:00.280 you can recycle plastic bags and other film plastics bring 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:02.640 them to large stores or certain chain stores in the city. 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:04.359 So check out what's going on in your area to 0:07:04.360 --> 0:07:10.440 find out what to do with those things. In particular, Devin, 0:07:10.480 --> 0:07:13.360 what were you What were your biggest takeaways from seeing 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:14.160 the process? 0:07:14.680 --> 0:07:17.600 I was shocked by how high tech it was. 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:21.080 Yeah, it sounds thet the lasers and the magnets, really. 0:07:20.960 --> 0:07:24.360 The air blowing at specific items to push them in 0:07:24.360 --> 0:07:27.480 specific directions on the conveytion. This it looked like some 0:07:27.520 --> 0:07:29.040 ship out of like futurema. Yeah. 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:32.000 Well also just and the scale of it described this pile. 0:07:32.080 --> 0:07:33.600 It was massive, It was huge. 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:37.520 I mean this is buildings, you know stories. We're in 0:07:37.560 --> 0:07:40.560 like a huge warehouse, essentially warehouse. A barge is coming in. 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:42.880 Barges aren't small, No, you have seen a barge. 0:07:42.880 --> 0:07:44.840 I've seen are pretty large and they're carrying a lot 0:07:44.840 --> 0:07:46.760 of stuff on there charge not small. 0:07:46.520 --> 0:07:48.480 Either, big big boat. 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:50.880 Yeah, and they look tiny compared to this pile. 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:51.280 Yep. 0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:55.600 It's bringing in recycled things that people thought you could recycle. 0:07:55.760 --> 0:07:58.480 Yes, and this is the thing that She emphasized too, 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:02.280 is that please only put recycling in a recycling bin, 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:05.480 because when they get garbage, then they got to sort 0:08:05.520 --> 0:08:09.720 that out and then send it to get thrown on 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.800 the garbage. So it's just making the garbage take a 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:17.239 longer route. It's more money to pay for it. Yeah, yeah, 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:19.000 to end up in a place where it should have 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:21.200 just gone initially. Yeah. So it was much more high 0:08:21.240 --> 0:08:23.160 tech than I thought, because part of me was like, 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:27.800 this is what my frustration with the recycling process was 0:08:28.320 --> 0:08:30.080 when I was just doing it at home. It's like, 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:33.520 how did they know which material goes where? If I'm 0:08:33.520 --> 0:08:37.240 putting all these different type of plastics into one place? 0:08:38.120 --> 0:08:40.320 Who is shorting? Is there a guy? I was just 0:08:40.360 --> 0:08:42.720 down there like this is like a you know, a 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:45.200 milk curt and I'm putting it over here, and it's like, no, 0:08:45.320 --> 0:08:48.000 that's not what's happening. Yeah, And I was surprised by 0:08:48.120 --> 0:08:50.800 how many, at least in New York, you can kind 0:08:50.800 --> 0:08:54.680 of recycle almost any any hard plastic, hard plastic, any 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:58.240 hard plastic, So like we said, plastic bags, no, but 0:08:58.360 --> 0:09:03.199 any like food containers, anything that is hard can be recycled. 0:09:03.280 --> 0:09:05.920 So she was showing us like you know, they have 0:09:06.000 --> 0:09:09.839 the prices for the types of materials and. 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:11.080 It changes every day. It's like you know the market, 0:09:11.120 --> 0:09:11.840 you know the markets. 0:09:11.920 --> 0:09:12.600 You know the market. 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:14.160 Of course, of course you wake up every day you 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:16.400 check the plastic right now. 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:20.719 But it was Yeah, it was pretty incredible to see that. Okay, 0:09:21.400 --> 0:09:25.440 me putting the stuff into my little plastic bin at 0:09:25.440 --> 0:09:29.560 home does actually make it somewhere where they are shorting 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:33.840 it and then sending it out for reuse elsewhere. 0:09:34.520 --> 0:09:39.320 So when I'm at home separating my recyclables, yep, I 0:09:39.440 --> 0:09:43.679 separate paper and cardboard away from that's good plastic. 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:46.040 That's that's good because they don't do they don't do 0:09:46.080 --> 0:09:47.680 paper here, that's what they do. 0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:48.520 Collect it. 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:51.160 Yeah, that goes to a different thing. Just take three 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:53.360 routed to that's recycling, but not here. 0:09:54.120 --> 0:09:56.760 So it is actually helpful that I'm not putting everything 0:09:56.800 --> 0:09:58.960 I think I can recycle into one bag. No, yeah, 0:09:59.040 --> 0:10:01.440 so you can put these thing so you can put 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:06.559 metal plastic, yes, and uh I guess class yes in 0:10:06.600 --> 0:10:09.240 here in one one thing and as long as you're 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:12.440 you're you're super will allow it. Yeah, yeah, I got 0:10:12.600 --> 0:10:14.400 that's a separate I'm just sending him this episode. 0:10:15.559 --> 0:10:18.480 But that can all be in one paper should be separate. 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:20.760 Paper and cardboard needs to be separated. 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:23.600 Yeah, because it's it might go here, but they're gonna 0:10:23.600 --> 0:10:27.000 have to descend it out. You're wasting money, tax payer dollars. 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.320 You know, talking about apartment bill. It draws me crazy. 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:32.000 Now I'll go downstairs. They just got recycling bins and 0:10:32.000 --> 0:10:33.280 that people putting everything in there. 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:34.840 Yeah, that's what I'm doing. 0:10:34.880 --> 0:10:38.240 Is plastic, there's metal, there's glass, all on the same bin. 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:44.240 So now I'm thinking about, my god, this is ending 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:46.800 up at that place. It's just half of this is 0:10:46.800 --> 0:10:48.239 probably just going in the trash. 0:10:48.440 --> 0:10:51.640 That's really crazy. You got to have a bin downstairs 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:52.360 at your apartment. 0:10:52.400 --> 0:10:53.480 That's here's the and. 0:10:54.160 --> 0:10:56.920 This is if you go and you walk around, look around, 0:10:57.440 --> 0:10:59.199 you see people there. There are people doing this right. 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:03.439 So in New York City we have our two og 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:05.880 recycling bins. We have what we call the Blue bin, 0:11:06.160 --> 0:11:10.040 where you can recycle four materials anything that is mostly 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:12.559 metal from a tiny bottle cap to a large refrigerator 0:11:12.559 --> 0:11:16.840 and everything in between, but not batteries and electronics, then glass, 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:19.840 bottles and jars. Only if it's glass, it must be 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:23.080 called bottle or jar. Otherwise it is not recyclable. 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:23.800 Unfortunately. 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:26.720 Then cartons is the third material. Cartons go in the 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:29.559 blue I know it's a cardboard box, it's coated. 0:11:29.240 --> 0:11:32.000 In plastic, so we don't want it in the paper bin. 0:11:32.080 --> 0:11:33.120 Cartons go in the blue bin. 0:11:33.440 --> 0:11:36.240 And then rigid plastic. So in New York City, put 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:39.920 all rigid, all hard plastic in the blue bin. No 0:11:40.160 --> 0:11:43.120 soft plastic, bags, pouches, or wrappers. All hard plastic of 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:45.400 all shapes and sizes. Then in what we call the 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:49.440 green bin. That's for paper and cardboard. All paper, any paper, if. 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:50.840 You can rip it, you can recycle it. 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:55.599 And all cardboard, including greasy pizza boxes. You may absolutely 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:58.400 put greasy pizza boxes in the recycling bin with the 0:11:58.440 --> 0:11:59.120 paper cardboard. 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:00.760 Just don't leave any peace in the box. 0:12:03.040 --> 0:12:08.560 So when you put out your materials, materials, and you 0:12:08.600 --> 0:12:11.959 got your the guys who are taking it and putting 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:15.959 into the truck, there's sections, okay, So the paper and 0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:18.840 plastic they have a section for that, and the metals, 0:12:18.840 --> 0:12:20.320 glass and materials they have a section for that. 0:12:20.360 --> 0:12:23.200 So they're pulling out the bags from my blue bin. 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:25.400 But they're taking a quick look at it because the 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:27.880 bag is transparent, This is going over here, this is 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:28.600 going over there. 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:31.679 Yeah, now that we have the you're supposed to have 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:35.960 standardized trash bins and recycling bins. That's supposed to make 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:40.840 that process easier. So they know, okay, this screen, yeah exactly, 0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:43.800 But as long as it's in a clear bag, I 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:44.840 think that's fine. 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:49.240 They should be able to figure that out. Time for 0:12:49.240 --> 0:12:51.839 a quick break. When we're back, we hear from Kara 0:12:52.120 --> 0:12:55.280 about why those recycling rate numbers from part one are 0:12:55.320 --> 0:12:55.760 so low. 0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:05.520 All right, fellas, I need you to help me with 0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:07.520 a problem that I got. You know, usually we're the 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:10.000 ones helping other people with their problems. But I'm about 0:13:10.000 --> 0:13:12.360 to go abroad and I'm want to watch Met games. Noah, 0:13:12.440 --> 0:13:13.240 how can I watch them? 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:16.160 That's a tough one. Maybe get a really large telescope. 0:13:16.240 --> 0:13:18.160 I don't think that's the best way to do it. Manny, 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:20.000 do you have any solutions on how I can watch 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:20.880 Mets games? You broad? 0:13:21.240 --> 0:13:24.400 I think I've got a slightly more practical solution for you, Devin. 0:13:24.520 --> 0:13:28.160 If you use Nord VPN, you'll be able to change 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:31.400 the location of your laptop's IP address and watch the 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:33.080 content with no problem. 0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:35.880 What about my privacy online. I'm worried someone's watching me. 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:37.880 First of all, no one is watching you, Noah. 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:41.679 But in case someone was watching you, NordVPN provides you 0:13:41.720 --> 0:13:46.560 with privacy online leaving no digital footprint by hiding your 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:50.120 IP address. It's like wearing an invisibility cloak while you're 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:50.880 surfing the web. 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:54.280 Sounds comfy, So, Manny, I've heard about these VPNs and 0:13:54.320 --> 0:13:56.800 how they're super slipt. 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That's NordVPN dot 0:14:32.440 --> 0:14:34.000 com slash. 0:14:33.640 --> 0:14:49.960 Nst Cara brought up the nine percent recycling rate issue, 0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:51.920 which is kind of the big thing we were talking 0:14:51.920 --> 0:14:55.360 about with Davis, where only nine percent things got recycled. Okay, 0:14:55.400 --> 0:14:57.200 and she brought this up before I even got there. 0:14:57.280 --> 0:14:57.480 Yeah. 0:14:57.560 --> 0:14:58.800 I was saving up for the end because I was like, 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:00.680 this is gonna get this to get nasty. 0:15:00.760 --> 0:15:02.800 And if you want me to explain the nine percent 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:06.440 of plastic, I would be happy to do. So, yes, 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:09.840 if you've heard that, yeah, yeah, okay, so yeah, So 0:15:09.880 --> 0:15:12.400 there's the statistic that everyone loves to like run at 0:15:12.440 --> 0:15:13.760 me with their hands flailing in the air. 0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:15.920 Only nine percent of plastic gets recycled. 0:15:16.240 --> 0:15:19.200 So I just want to explain that statistic because it's 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:22.760 a bit misunderstood. So I think people hear this stat 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:25.080 and they think, oh my gosh, of all the plastic 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:27.760 I'm putting in my recycling, then only nine percent of 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:31.000 it is actually getting recycled, And know that is not 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:35.000 what that number is describing. If of all the plastic 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:37.800 we were getting, if we could only recycle nine percent 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:40.440 of it, that would be a ninety one percent loss 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:42.600 for us, and that costs money. 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:44.360 Anything that we send to the. 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:47.880 Trash we pay for So we would probably say Hey, guys, 0:15:47.920 --> 0:15:50.280 stop sending us plastic because ninety one percent of it 0:15:50.280 --> 0:15:51.800 we have to pay to send it to a landfill. 0:15:51.840 --> 0:15:54.200 Right, It just makes no sense. So what that number 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:55.520 is describing. 0:15:55.240 --> 0:15:58.880 Is describing the percentage of all plastics manufactured in a 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:03.920 year that you United States residents actually put into recycling bins. 0:16:04.160 --> 0:16:06.760 That's usually what those numbers are describing is how much 0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:10.600 we as residents are actually putting in to the bin. 0:16:10.880 --> 0:16:12.520 Once it gets in the bin and comes to a 0:16:12.600 --> 0:16:16.200 sorting facility, sorting facilities are going to recover eighty seven 0:16:16.240 --> 0:16:17.960 to ninety five percent of the good stuff. 0:16:18.080 --> 0:16:21.520 Let's make a really rudimentary example here, where the United 0:16:21.520 --> 0:16:24.680 States only produces ten water bottles a year. She's saying 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:30.240 consumers are only recycling one out of the ten water 0:16:30.240 --> 0:16:31.880 bottles produced by the United States. 0:16:32.000 --> 0:16:33.920 And that's nothing to say of what becomes of that 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:36.840 water bottle, just that we're only putting one. 0:16:36.840 --> 0:16:39.320 In the bin, and that one, once it gets to 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:43.640 the murph is getting recycled eighty five. Yeah, so eighty 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:45.000 five percent of that one bottle. 0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:48.920 Just like say, statistic that we originally thought was an 0:16:48.920 --> 0:16:53.160 indictment of the recycling industry is She's arguing is actually 0:16:53.200 --> 0:16:57.240 an indictment of human beings all since consumers. 0:16:57.480 --> 0:16:59.200 Well yeah, which is kind of the whole crux of this, 0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:02.800 because that's also what to be fair to Davis, He's saying, 0:17:03.200 --> 0:17:07.320 we're taking the guilt on for Yeah, who's making the plastic, 0:17:08.960 --> 0:17:11.879 you know, But it is what I'm learning is everyone's 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:15.000 involved in this. But if you put all the all 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:19.400 the plastic in your house, in your apartment, yeah, your home, 0:17:19.480 --> 0:17:24.760 but yeah, into microplastics the recycling bin, it would get 0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:28.440 to the center and most of that, or eighty seven 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:30.760 to ninety five percent of that would be recycled. Well, 0:17:30.760 --> 0:17:34.480 this revelation is bitter sweet in the sense that I 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:37.520 feel a lot better that what I'm recycling is pretty 0:17:37.560 --> 0:17:41.040 much ending up getting recycled. But it also means that 0:17:41.600 --> 0:17:45.959 way fewer people are recycling than I thought. Well, yeah, 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:48.760 I mean that's the trouble because you know, I mentioned 0:17:48.800 --> 0:17:51.000 how relieved in a sense I was in a sick 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:55.640 way that the recycling goes to do anything, and now 0:17:55.640 --> 0:18:00.360 I'm realizing I might need to recycle more than ever. Yeah, 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:01.880 it's all in my countryman. Yeah. 0:18:02.520 --> 0:18:03.840 Yeah, we need to get to the bottom of this 0:18:03.840 --> 0:18:07.840 because it's a cycle. It's like, which way Western Man, 0:18:08.800 --> 0:18:11.320 this episode could end when where I'm with me not 0:18:11.440 --> 0:18:14.560 recycling anymore or killing even. 0:18:15.960 --> 0:18:19.480 Yeah, like I might have to confront my landlord. Bins. 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:22.000 I'll say this, I'm probably gonna have to have three 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:24.320 bins now, Yeah, I have two. 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:26.040 I was thinking about this. 0:18:26.200 --> 0:18:29.280 I have a garbage bin yep and a recycling bin ye. 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:33.359 And for a while I was putting all my recyclables, 0:18:33.840 --> 0:18:37.119 including paper, in the same in the one bin. No one, 0:18:37.359 --> 0:18:40.480 no one sorting downstairs. I'm putting. I'm doing my best. 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:43.320 I'm putting this stuff here. And then my trash, my 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:46.640 real trash in the trash bin. That's not gonna that's 0:18:46.640 --> 0:18:49.840 not gonna fly anymore. I gotta have Listen, you're gonna 0:18:49.840 --> 0:18:51.520 have four things composts. 0:18:51.760 --> 0:18:54.679 I got trash, I'm gonna have to have my metals, 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:57.480 my glass, my plastics, and then I'm gonna have to 0:18:57.520 --> 0:18:58.520 have another one from a car. 0:18:58.560 --> 0:18:59.520 I'm gonna have to buy a storage. 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:02.840 You're going to use one of your rooms, Yeah, your 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:06.359 bedrooms to get a bedroom apartment, one of the rooms. 0:19:06.400 --> 0:19:15.959 Recycling you were saying earlier New York. It takes all 0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:18.199 rigid plastics, but there are some places that do not. 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:22.600 Does that nine percent number also account for those places 0:19:22.640 --> 0:19:24.199 who are just like, we're not going to sort this. 0:19:24.440 --> 0:19:27.320 No, that nine percent is its own thing that is 0:19:27.359 --> 0:19:29.600 never attached to recycling centers. 0:19:29.800 --> 0:19:31.080 It's not, it's really not. 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:33.119 Yeah, it was a study done by the EPA in 0:19:33.160 --> 0:19:36.239 twenty eighteen where they looked at all materials, looked at 0:19:36.280 --> 0:19:39.280 how much was manufactured in a year, and then they 0:19:39.280 --> 0:19:41.760 looked at how much of what was manufactured people put 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:42.560 into recycling. 0:19:42.600 --> 0:19:45.280 Thin That's what it is describing. It's the whole country. 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:46.760 It's not localized. 0:19:47.400 --> 0:19:50.000 You can look sometimes cities like New York City, you 0:19:50.040 --> 0:19:52.239 can look at our recycling rates. The city puts out 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:56.040 a really great report every five years, the Waste Characterization Study, 0:19:56.320 --> 0:19:58.800