Archive Report
Archive Report
Problems Created by Throwaway Society
Burgeoning Levels of Urban Refuse in America
The trash piles of the throwaway society are growing faster than ever, and American cities are crying for help to combat the solid waste threat. Most proposed solutions rely on new technology, even though it can be argued that technology is directly responsible for much of the refuse which now plagues the nation. New technologies of “resource recovery” are being widely promoted as the answer to America's solid waste problems—burning garbage and trash for energy in power plants, separating metal, paper and glass components for recycling, turning sewage and manure into feed, fuel or fertilizer, and salvaging old automobiles and tires for construction materials.
At the same time, others contend that “source reduction” is a ...