Every decision we make has unintended consequences. Not allowing biodegradable material in a landfill may end up being a bad idea. Recycling our products is a great idea, I only wish recyclers were able to develop additional markets for all the stuff we throw away…then we would not be tossing so much into our landfills.
Additionally, I believe that all our landfills should be designed as “Bioreactor landfills” which are more efficient at enhancing biodegradation and capturing the gases. Biogases from garbage known as landfill gases are being used to create clean energy. Burying our trash in a “Dry tomb” landfill is a bad idea. Recycling everything we produce should become a priority. Resources are scarce and we need to leave something for future generations. Using biodegradable garbage for the production of clean energy is a better use of our resources.
If we are going to change the way we treat our environment we are going to have to start thinking of systems that are “Cradle to Cradle.” We need to use resources to make things, reuse them and when the life cycle of a product is over reclaim the resource or return it to the earth as a harmless substance. Our current landfill system isn’t adequate, and our recycling programs need to be improved.
Think long and hard about the unintended consequences of enacting laws that benefit one industry over another….it shouldn’t be about the bottom line…it should be about the environment.
Max
http://www.ensobottles.com