Some suggestions to improve the rate of recycling of some packaging and thereby reducing waste
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Recent reports that have been circulated suggest that in the not too distant future we may be running out of recycled plastic polymer. Not enough plastic bottles and such are, apparently, being collected for recycling is the primary reason given.
Looking at this closely the reasons as to why are obvious.
While some of the bottles go into the recycling stream via kerbside collections of recyclables and some other ways the great majority of such bottles are tossed into roadside or park litter bins from where they go into landfill. And that is where the problem lies.
The answer to this dilemma is not rocket science but the reinvention of the wheel as it is, basically, a reintroduction of a deposit scheme as we used to have for glass bottles before the advent of the “one way glass bottle”, and later the plastic one, several decades ago. This is also already a tried and proven method as regards to plastic bottles in some countries.
With a small sum levied at time of purchase, redeemable upon return of bottle (or drinks can) to the store much of the drinks container waste could be eliminated and recyclables provided.
A refundable deposit should be levied on all plastic bottles, drinks cans, and glass bottles, Once again in the case of the latter and with the latter going back to be cleaned and refilled, as it used to be done.
It has been done before in the UK in the case of glass bottles and is still being done or being done again, as the case may be, in other countries, with plastic bottles (and drinks cans) having been added to the returnables. Therefore this does NOT require expensive trial projects and studies. It works! It is a proven method!
Even glass jars (and plastic jars) should have a deposit levied and should be returnable to the stores for a refund. The glass jars can go back to be cleaned and refilled and the plastic ones can go to the recycling plants.
Having said that about the glass jar, you can also reuse them yourself, including for canning, but there is a limit to how many you can use at home. And yes, I am speaking from experience.
Glass bottles and glass jars should never ever be recycled by being broken up until such a time that the bottles or the jars are, in fact, already broken, by accident.
I was told by a representative of a German brewery who ships bottled beer to pubs, bars and restaurants in Britain that their trucks take back every bottle 9 as far as possible) on their return trips as it saves money. He told me that bringing back, cleaning, etc., costs about 5cents per bottle while a new bottle costs in the region of 50cents.
One does not have to be a mathematical genius to work out that the savings here and it is a definite no-brainer.
I could but bet that a reintroduction of refundable deposits and extending it to include plastic bottles and drinks cans would increase the amount of recyclables available and would dramatically reduce our waste arriving at the tip or littering up the areas.
Kids alone would see to the reduction of bottles and can laying about, even in litter bins, by collecting them for the refundable deposit on them. We did when I was a child and we made a good weekly income from it, thank you.
© 2011
