might be inefficient, expensive or environmentally unsound?
Remaking resources through either the economy or nature currently appears unsound since the costs are not built into product prices. Consequently in general: nature’s ecological capacity is being lost rather than built; recycling infrastructure is distant or missing; many products are designed only to become waste; and societal expectations are low. If product pricing reflected the risk of waste then a flow of funds would be generated to invest in the necessary changes and preventing waste would become far easier. Local recycling infrastructure would allow materials handling to be more efficient that the increasingly long-distance transports of products and wastes. Unsustainable incineration of mixed wastes would no longer be needed. Large energy savings from using recycled rather than extracted resources would be achieved.
