Polystyrene cups are cheap because they require so little energy and material to manufacture – without reading a chemist’s analysis, you could deduce from the cup’s low price that it’s an efficient use of natural resources. Similarly, the prices paid for scrap materials are a measure of their environmental value as recyclables. Scrap aluminum fetches a high price because recycling it consumes so much less energy than manufacturing new aluminum. The low price paid for scrap tinted glass tells you that you won’t be conserving valuable resources by recycling it. While price is hardly a perfect measure of environmental impact, especially in countries where manufacturers are free to pollute, an American product’s price usually reflects the cost of complying with strict environmental regulations.
Pollute responsibly, morons! Craziest article on the environment I’ve seen, this guy seems intelligent enough, but a bit near-sighted.