Computer Chips on Recycle Bins?

So how are these microchips going to detect what is going into the garbage can? Some not yet invented sensor technology to detect materials characterstics? Or are we going to have to put RFID tags on everything recyclable? ...... or everything else? And how are these detectors going to survive the shocks inherent in the process of unloading the garbage bins into the garbage truck? And how long will it be before I get busted for putting some recyclable container that is a mess of smelly dried on food into my regular garbage?

This sounds to me like a crackpot idea that will result in less stuff getting recycled and more nasty items being simply discarded into the "woods", roadsides and streambeds.

I have deep suspicions about how well these recycling programs are actually working. How much of the plastic I carefully wash off actually goes into new products and how much ends up either in a landfill or as a fuel for some Chinese electric generating station? Same with the neatly sorted and packed paper and cardboard.

Ed Weldon

I believe the ultimate plan for RFID tags and products is to put them on just about everything. There are great benefits such as when you go shopping the register can total your entire purchase in nanoseconds. The amount of data that a tag can hold is somewhat limited so I cant see the material characteristics being stored on the tag.

They could easily use a wheelie bin tag to monitor your output of different waste types and some other limited bits and pieces but I seriously doubt they will be able to know just what it is exactly that you're throwing out.

I have no suspicions about what happens to the stuff we put out for recycling. Colour me a cynic but i doubt that even 5% of it would be recycled. One of those Michael Moore types (cannot remember who) did a study on the subject and discovered that the majority of the trucks destined for recycling depots ended up at the landfill. I think it is just one of those touchy-feely programs to make us feel good about ourselves and our stewardship of the planet. Then again the paranoid in me says it is part of a long term mental conditioning program the outcome of which I dread to even guess at.

Sounds like a load of garbage to me!!!!

Food for thought, this. Sorry. A known phenomena that a lot can be gleaned by searching through what we throw away. I'd be leery of this info being available to whoever could hack that database and find out that I prefer Coors Light among other things. Cheers!

In the UK the refuse 'wheeie' bins are chipped but these microchips are only for identification of the bin & therefore the household responsible for it. These were introduced so that local authorities would be able to charge for refuse collection based on the weight of rubbish produced however these schemes have not yet been introduced.

There have also been several reports of local authorities randomly checking the contents of bins to gauge how much we recycle.