Sunday, November 20, 2011

Landfills: Appreciable Property

thesis: landfills are going to be worth more than the cost to maintain and license in the near future.

if we accept emerging market growth in middle class consumerism;
if we accept ongoing developed market consumption at median rates in electronics and packaging across a range of economic outcomes;
if we accept that past recycling efforts were minimal to non-existant;

then the market for plastics and electronic components will become bigger;
then input materials for plastics and electronics will become more scarce, more highly demanded, and/or more highly speculated;
then using scientific techniques certain strata of old waste piles will be mined for concentrations of useful materials;

therefore landfills containing concentrated volumes of recyclable content will gain in value;
therefore older landfills will gain value more quickly than contemporary ones