Monday, August 06, 2012

Optimistic Predictions are Garbage

I'm not a bear.  I would like for things to get better.  Really.

But, this is not good.  Garbage is falling off very fast, just like export orders.  It could be that this means the recycle-topians are actually doing good work, but what it really means is that the economy is in the dump, because we are not buying stuff.


Click for a more trashy image.

3 comments:

Thomas W said...

I'd think recycling would increase scrap -- sending recyclables to wherever they will be processed.

Another explanation would be that more scrap be being transported by truck or other means. Some data on the relative share of freight transport by rail would seem appropriate.

Which just shows that anything can be clarified or obfuscated by statistics.

Anonymous said...

I presume that "Y/Y%" means the percentage change, but that is horrible notation. Why not "dY/Y" or "% ch. Y"?

Anonymous said...

Further reading:
http://www.americanrecycler.com/0510/183escalating.shtml