In this environmentally conscious world, it is worth remembering that every issue has two sides. Take lead, for example. It has been vilified for everything from the failure of 19th-century arctic explorer Franklin’s expedition through the Northwest Passage to health problems with schoolchildren in downtown Toronto.
The risks of lead poisoning need not be minimized, but the news about lead is not bad. In fact, lead might be considered something of a model for other recyclable materials in a modern world.
According to the U.S. Commerce Department, the overall recycling rate for lead in the U.S. is about 65%, making it one of the most recycled materials in the country. The Lead Industries Association says lead is by far the most reclaimed metal in the world with an estimated 90% recovery rate.
If conservation has a role in sustaining our environment, users of lead might show others just how efficient recycling can be.
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