We all see the the benefit to recycling electronics. There are some very toxic materials involved in the manufacture of electronic components and while manufaturers are trying to cut out the use of those toxic materials, there is something to be said about replacement materials. Apparently, India’s government is reluctant to ban the use of materials such as lead solder and they are taking some heat for it. However, if you look carefully at their reasoning, you might see that the issue is not so black and white. Once again, we see that as gung-ho as we want to be in relation to taking care of the environment, many times there are other factors that require careful  research first.

Many recycling companies in the western US have struggled to make recycling of plastic and glass containers work economically. The problem only intensifies as governments set mandated recycling rates. “Luckily”, government then steps in to help with the economics. Unfortunately, we all know how efficient governments are at reducing costs to do anything. Look at the state of California, often considered a leader in recycling.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t do all we can to recycle containers of all sorts, we just need to ensure we are doing it correctly, intelligently. Wouldn’t it be a shame if California’s system collapsed on itself due to the government involvement?