ABSTRACT
This chapter critiques the privileged position of recycling at the heart of the sustainability agenda. It explores why we recycle, and examines the potential benefits. It then considers arguments against recycling, and recycling’s position in the waste management hierarchy. It discusses the unsustainability of recycling in terms of its present ecological and social impacts. The chapter argues that a focus on recycling can distract us from more useful responses to the challenge of waste, and prevent us from addressing bigger challenges of sustainability.
