The article was focussed on the profitability of recycling per se, and not the total impact on the environment. The article implied that the reason thin contai

The article was focussed on the profitability of recycling per se, and not the total impact on the environment. The article implied that the reason thin contains are a problem is because they contain less material and therefore yield less profit for the recycler. But if that is the only reason that thin containers are a problem, then the total impact on the environment would still be lower with thin containers, since not using the material in the first place is more efficient that using more and recycling more. So a policy that bans thin containers on the basis that they result in less profits for recyclers is the opposite of smart. The end goal is to lower the total environmental impact, not profitable recycling programs.