The crux of your line of thinking lies in the definition of "costs of recycling". If something like the idea of a cost of recycling was represented in the cost

The crux of your line of thinking lies in the definition of "costs of recycling". If something like the idea of a cost of recycling was represented in the cost to the consumer, how would you translate the same idea to a developing country? They have to pay an artificially increased price (compared what the population of "developed" countries paid for) for something we didn't have to pay for until now? That sounds kind of unfair. edit: Just to make clear, I'm not arguing against a concept as "cost of recycling"; my point is that the whole argument is more complicated than just comparing realistic solutions for the US or europe.