Is Recycling a Waste of Time? November 26, 2007

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Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2007/10/27/Battle_of_Ideas_Recycling_is_a_Waste_of_Time

German journalist and commentator Thomas Deichman argues that most modern recycling methods are a waste of time and money.

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"Recycling is a Waste of Time" at the 2007 Battle of Ideas conference hosted by the Institute of Ideas.

With rubbish a major political issue, and threats from councils that residents might be fined if they do not sort their waste correctly, recycling has become a hot political issue. But, why bother to recycle? The benefits are far from indisputable. According to advocates of the new green orthodoxy, recycling is essential if we are to reduce pollution and alleviate global warming, but given its limited impact on CO2 emissions, it often seems as if the imperative to recycle has more to do with conspicuous good citizenship than efficient waste management. Perhaps recycling is not only an inconvenient, but an unnecessary part of our daily routines.

Some have hailed the recycling industry of Mumbai as an economic model that we should all take notice of. Many inhabitants of the Indian city spend their time sorting dumped rubbish for recycling. But, how does this resource efficiency match up to our standards of human efficiency? Might a certain amount of wasted material be a price worth paying for the freedom to spend time on other things?- Institute of Ideas

Thomas Deichmann is founder and since 1992 Editor in Chief of the bi-monthly German magazine Novo, published in Frankfurt. Since 1993 he has worked as a freelance journalist and researcher for numerous quality papers across Europe.

During the 90s, Deichmann's journalism covered international relations and the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. Since 1999 he has focused his research and writing on science topics, and modern biotechnology in particular. His investigative journalism and his enlightenment approach repeatedly cause international and national wide debates. He has appeared on radio and TV repeatedly.

He studied Civil Engineering at Darmstadt University and was awarded his diploma in 1989, spending some years working at Darmstadt University and as a freelance engineer.