Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Landfill


Another day into London on the tube, another day fighting through the mountain of paper waste.

Some people call it a free market in free newspapers. I call it litter.

Economics again. Externalities again. The quantity "purchased" does not reflect the price to society. The marginal cost is not zero.

The same principle as for plastic bags. Probably a bit more degradable, probably a bit more degrading.

Alternatively the free newspapers are like concrete tower blocks. Very cheap to put up. But you must factor in a disposal cost.

Legislation needed. And my family are not newsagents.

2 comments:

Ann Cardus said...

Some people call it the raw material for a children's party game.

http://anncardus.blogspot.com/2007/07/newspaper-and-sellotape-fashion-parade.html

Faisal said...

One day we will all get our Hindi and Chinese headlines on our recycled mobile phones/hologram-projecting-eyewear.