The Weekly thinks we should “rejoice and recycle” more plastics (Slant, 6/23). As a retired recycling professional in two pioneering nonprofits and a major California county, I differ for several reasons.
Nearly all plastic that is recycled is made into products that are not themselves recyclable. So much for the “infinite” arrow-triangles.
Plastic recycling is little more than a public relations scam by oil, chemical and bottling industries to avoid regulation that might make them manufacture reusable products or bear the costs of recycling their products and the environmental damage they cause.
Plastic can either be made from oil or from collected plastic, but when oil cost drops significantly, manufacturers and collection programs quickly cut back the kinds of plastic they accept. Unfortunately, the public is slower to adapt, so recycling bins get a lot of unacceptable plastic again, pushing contamination and costs up.
Someday, researchers and public programs may mass produce methods to break down plastic, but even then avoiding the plastic plague will probably be a better response. It isn’t hard. Look for alternatives, such as shampoo bars instead of bottled liquid. So for now, put more plastic types into the bin, just to slow landfilling Oregon’s canyons an iota, but don’t rejoice in pretending that clever PR campaigns mean environmental progress. They don’t.
Jack Taylor
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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