For decades, consumers have been led to believe that recycling plastic saves on waste. Unfortunately, it’s not true, says Simon Wilson. And that could have big consequences for the oil business.
If a tax on plastic was made and used to offset the cost of recycling it, the problem would almost fix itself, but there's no way you're going to do that while the companies that profit from the production of plastic are in charge of making the rules.
That's why it would also need to be accompanied by dramatic execution of anyone trying to thwart it.
I recently moved to Europe from the US, and in my city there's a pretty huge incentive for households to recycle. Trash for curbside pickup has to be in these specific brightly colored bags with the correct logo that cost roughly $2 USD per 35-Liter/10-Gallon bag. Curbside compost pickup is twice weekly and cardboard recycling pickup is once a week, which is free. It's also free to recycle PET bottles, glass, aluminum, batteries, etc. This has really transformed my own approach to waste and recycling: now I only use about 1.5-2 trash bags per month. Plastic/Carbon taxes are of course still a good idea and need wide implementation ASAP.
If a tax on plastic was made and used to offset the cost of recycling it, the problem would almost fix itself, but there's no way you're going to do that while the companies that profit from the production of plastic are in charge of making the rules.
That's why it would also need to be accompanied by dramatic execution of anyone trying to thwart it.
I recently moved to Europe from the US, and in my city there's a pretty huge incentive for households to recycle. Trash for curbside pickup has to be in these specific brightly colored bags with the correct logo that cost roughly $2 USD per 35-Liter/10-Gallon bag. Curbside compost pickup is twice weekly and cardboard recycling pickup is once a week, which is free. It's also free to recycle PET bottles, glass, aluminum, batteries, etc. This has really transformed my own approach to waste and recycling: now I only use about 1.5-2 trash bags per month. Plastic/Carbon taxes are of course still a good idea and need wide implementation ASAP.