Bjorn Lomborg: most recycling is a waste (opens the source in a new tab)
- Metals and some plastics are worth separating; much paper, glass and plastic costs more to collect and process than it is worth.
- A Danish plan would cost nearly €4,000 per ton of CO₂ avoided, almost 50 times the European carbon price.
- Japanese data put the socially optimal recycling rate around 10%; sorting takes households 26–29 minutes a week per person.
- 26–29 min
- weekly sorting, per person
- $250bn+
- yearly global waste spend
Why it matters Good intentions still need a cost check.
Other side Cost tallies can undervalue harm from landfill and litter. Do his sums count it fully?