4 ms·
IMHO, asking end consumer to "correctly sort" the trash is a non-scalable, non-solution. First of all, packaging isn't even standardised: you need to assume al
by dgan 3y ago
IMHO, asking end consumer to "correctly sort" the trash is a non-scalable, non-solution.
First of all, packaging isn't even standardised: you need to assume all the information about materials used to be available to end consumer, and the consumer must follow the guidelines to separate them. If packaging were standardised (with a limited number of options, not like two hundreds different things) it would be much much simpler and more efficient. Plus, even in France (just example), sorting instructions vary from town to town, which makes everything even more complicated
But even in the case above where everything is as simple and efficient as possible, and end consumers are 100% benevolent, why would you want to rely on N millions agents, each making some mistakes, when you could rely on a couple (of dozens) sorting plants, with professionals paid to do just that ?
For me it's just blaming and punishing the weak (end consumer) , because coward and mediocre politicians don't want to tackle the strong (industry)
- Cthulhu_ 3y agoIronically, it was the trash handling companies that complained when the county introduced separating plastic from other general waste, because they had just invested in new machinery that could do it. And they have to keep that machinery and staff because not everyone will separate their waste properly. But even then, what's the point? The separated plastic is bundled up and... then what? Exported or sold to the highest bidder, who will do whatever with it. Some is recycled / reused performatively, but I'm sure a lot is just put in landfill or burned. See I don't even mind so much that plastic can't be reused as well yet, but it has to be stored responsibly. Landfill, concrete / impermiable basin, neatly stack the compressed plastic bales there, cover it up, and just forget about it until it can be "mined" again as a resource. Else, it'll just sit there and (naively of me, I know), be inert and harmless until it won't matter anymore.
- seabass-labrax 3y agoWhy would the companies complain if they still had to use their machinery? They didn't buy it in vain; the only difference is consumers waste a tiny bit more of their time.
- judge2020 3y agoIf you have two bins, that's an extra day of sending a truck through the streets to collect it. It's not a direct issue for the people running the sorting machine, but it still feels backwards and/or like the person who made the decision didn't ask the workers what would be best.
- WorldMaker 3y agoAmong other reasons, because they lose potential income from sorting recyclables if that separate "higher value" recyclables stream gets bid to a different company for pickup. They invested in the machines as an additional income source.
- prawn 3y agoWe should absolutely pressure industry to minimise the packaging types and forms in a way that minimises hassle down the chain. Think about toys that come in some combination of plastic cover and cardboard box, both uniquely shaped to that particular toy or brand, and requiring the consumer to shred their fingers trying to separate materials for recycling. Make something like that non-viable in some way so industry is pushed to a more reasonable option. Someone like Walmart could also, in theory, apply sufficient pressure to make a difference here.
- defrost 3y agoIf you're actually intending to bring pressure to bear on US industry then the online clothing industry via Amazon et al is a massive relatively new waste generating sector. That domain has normalised ordering three, returning two .. and then discarding the return rather than dealing with possible contamination on resale of returned items. Garment waste figures are staggering (been a year+ since I last looked but I still recall my stonishment at the scale).