Science Forums 2

[Cedars]

Driving home yesterday I passed by one of the recycle places.
Aluminum cans are up to .70 a pound!! I dont remember seeing cans that high ever, especially now. Usually aluminum is going down at this time of year.

What is needed is incentive. Whether or not a person should do this on their own isnt the real issue. Its how to get people to take the time to recycle. Money should be offered for these recycle items. Another problem is advertising. There are many people out there who can dispose of recycleable items but the general population does not have contact with them.

Advertising in newspapers is expensive, plus people often want you to come get their stuff, rather than taking the time themselves to bring it to the appropriate places. When iron is $90 a ton it takes alot of pipes, hinges, doorknobs etc to make the drive worth while. And as a point of reference, $90 a ton is very high and has only been going on for about the last 8 years. For many years a car body was worth $17 - $30 a ton. Most cars now a days weigh less than two tons. Now if you can fill up a van with a bunch of steel you can get one to weigh 5 tons. Plus there are many environmental requirements before a junk man can recycle a car, such as draining oils and fluids. Pulling tires (which cost to dispose of), batteries, etc.