This thread is an offshoot of another question I just read about detecting recycled paper. Ink removal was mentioned. It made me curious about that ink removal step. And in fact about the entire process of recycling anything.
Recycling is often criticized because of the cost effectiveness ... or lack of. In paper recycling they must remove ink. Why? Is it simply because we have become so spoiled with bleached fresh paper that we absolutely must have pure bright white paper? Would there be no cost advantage to eliminating steps like ink removal, thereby making the entire process more cost effective and more popular? What's wrong with paper that is not pure white? Or has impurities. Big freakin deal. Except for books, it's going to end up in the trash anyway. I look around in my office here, and the amount of pure white fancy virgin paper that surrounds me, makes me cringe!
My point is, are there ways to make recycling more cost effective by changing our demands & expectations of what the end result product is? I mean recycling of any kind.
The amount of wasted resources on this planet is mind boggling, as you all well know. And we are often forced to make a decision between being "green" 
and saving money. And until that choice is no longer necessary because we can do both, I'm afraid the world is going to choose money. 
So let's solve this problem right here and now. C'mon my genius friends, I've got faith in you. 
Make Recycling Economical
Re: Make Recycling Economical
