Is Recycling a Waste of Time and Money?

I have been a fan of journalist John Stossel for decades. His latest video short is titled, "Even Greenpeace Says “Most Plastic Simply Cannot Be Recycled.” Here are some of his key points.

For decades we've been encouraged to recycle as though it were a moral obligation. The message has been simple: separate your trash, rinse your containers, and you're helping save the planet.

But what if the story is more complicated? Or even bunk.

John Stossel recently revisited the economics and realities of recycling, and many of his findings are surprising. While recycling aluminum, cardboard, and some paper products generally makes good economic and environmental sense, much of what Americans dutifully place in recycling bins—especially plastics—never gets recycled at all. Some ends up in landfills, some is shipped overseas, and some is ultimately burned or discarded.

Stossel also challenges long-held assumptions about landfill shortages and argues that modern landfills are far cleaner and more abundant than many people realize. His larger point isn't that we should stop caring about the environment. Rather, it is that good intentions don't automatically produce good results. Before spending billions of dollars and millions of hours pursuing any environmental policy, we ought to ask a simple question: Does it actually accomplish what we think it does?

That seems like a reasonable place to begin any honest conversation. In most cases, as Stossel's sources within the industry point out, the answer is "no."

Photo at top of page by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

The Sweetwater Wind Turbine Blade Dumpsites

On Saturday (Feb 7) Robert Bryce published an article about the massive financial losses Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) has incurred by manufacturing vehicles customers don't want (EVs) rather than vehicles people actually do want. By simply reporting facts Bryce has been an ongoing thorn in the side for automakers and others married to the Green Transition.

He ends the "free" segment of his substack post with this paragraph:

Here’s a closer look at the Stellantis announcement, along with two updated spreadsheets showing the losses for each automaker. I also have two short items, including NERC’s warning about electricity shortages and the Texas AG’s long-overdue lawsuit against the owner of two notorious wind turbine blade dumpsites in Sweetwater.

I'm not a paid subscriber (yet) so I had to do my own research about the Sweetwater dumpsites for wind turbine blades.

The wind turbine blade dumpsites in Sweetwater, Texas are located in Nolan County, often refrred to as the "Wind Energy Capital of North America" due to he large wind farms nearby. Large stockpiles of decommissioned wind turbine blades that have been accumulating there since around 2017. These are not traditional landfills but open, unpermitted storage sites where blades have been dumped rather than recycled as originally planned.

A company called Global Fiberglass Solutions (GFS), based out in Washington, began collecting used blades from wind farms across the U.S. The plan was to transport them to Sweetwater, shred or process them into reusable materials (like composites for products such as railroad ties or flooring), and recycle them. However, the recycling operation largely failed to materialize, leading to massive accumulations instead.

There are two main sites in and around Sweetwater. One site is within or near the city limits, notably across from the historic Sweetwater Cemetery on West Alabama Avenue which is often described as a "blade boneyard" or "graveyard." (Maybe a new reality show could be created called Sweetwater City Limits? The other site is south of town, along Highway 70.

The blades are typically cut into sections before being transported.  They purportedly cover about 40 acres of land. (One site is about 30 acres and the other around 10.) The sites have around 3,000 blades and related parts like nacelles. (Nacelles are streamlined, enclosed housings for the machinery found in the wind turbine head.)

Recent reports (as of this year) indicate the sites contain around 487,000 cubic yards of solid waste. The problem is that these are illegal/unpermitted disposal sites because they lack proper waste management permits. The blades, lying exposed, have been more than an eyesore. They are attracting vermin and rattlesnakes, posing safety hazards (e.g., to children before fencing was added), and were being declared a public nuisance by Nolan County as early as 2020.

In response the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has issued orders and penalties (e.g., a 2022 agreed order with fines for unauthorized storage).

This week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Global Fiberglass Solutions and affiliates for violating solid waste disposal laws, seeking penalties, removal of the waste, and other relief. The state alleges the company illegally dumped and abandoned the materials, damaging land and threatening communities.

Considering the size of Texas, 40 acres doesn't seem like much. On the other hand, considering the size of Sweetwater (a little over 10,000 people) that is a lot of eyesore for one's back 40. (Fwiw, Sweetwater is 44 miles west of Abilene on Highway 20, or 194 miles west of Fort Worth.)

This situation highlights broader challenges with wind turbine blade disposal: the composite fiberglass material is difficult and expensive to recycle, leading some to end up in landfills elsewhere or in stockpiles like this. Sweetwater's case has drawn media attention as a prominent example of the "dark side" of wind energy end-of-life issues, in stark contrast to the town's wind-friendly identity.

For visuals of these sites (aerial views showing piles of massive white blade sections in fields), search for images of "Sweetwater Texas wind turbine blades" or similar terms. I borrowed this shot (above) from Texas Monthly without permission. If asked to pull it I shall. If you have an alternative image, send me a note and I will give you credit.

Wind turbine blades are extremely durable, made from fiberglass or carbon-fiber composites, which are hard to separate and not easily recyclable with conventional methods. Recycling blades is currently one of the industry's biggest challenges.

Find Robert Bryce here on Substack.

Recycling

Are you recycling yet? Here in Minnesota it's mandatory, but even though I don't like overly intrusive government I think it's O.K. Landfills can't keep expanding forever.

Recycling is the process of creating things of  value from discarded things that are used. Recycling used paper, glass and cans is finally becoming a way of life for most of us in a culture whose wastefulness is almost legendary.

Ideas can be recycled, too. The times may change, but there have been many long dormant insights, maxims, proverbs and sayings that can be an invaluable help for us in every facet of our lives. We don't necessarily need to come up with new formulas for living. The old ideas, maxims and proverbs still speak to us if we would but recycle them and put them into practice.

Have a conflict you're avoiding? A stitch in time saves nine. You've been as to speak on a special occasion that might open more doors in your career? Strike while the iron is hot. Don't know how to assess a situation at work or a difficult financial decisions? Two heads are better than one. Moving to a new house? Many hands make light work.

Proverbial wisdom abounds, for those who have ears to hear. The Golden Rule --"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"-- is a powerful maxim that has inspired a multitude of generations and makes a great creed to live by no matter what age you live in.

Just because something is new doesn't mean that it's better. There is real value in recycling the best ideas and principles of those who have gone before us.