Recycling systems are inadequate

Problem with motivation
Most plastic is not recycled, but ends up in a landfill or in the environment because it depends on the willingness of people to sort out their recyclables. There is little motivation beyond guilt that would drive people to recycle.

For people who do feel motivated to recycle, plastics recycling is a “feel good” environmental action. However, refusing to consume single use plastic in the first place would have a much greater impact because the low quality of material.

Problem with the quality of material
Glass & metal can be recycled in a way that maintains the integrity of the material. Most plastic can only be down cycled. #1 & #2 plastics are the only types which can be recycled, but they are easily tainted because our system of sorting is not refined.

There is little infrastructure to recycle plastic. Resin producers are the only ones with significant financial resources to invest in building a structure for recycling plastics. However, they make more money if they extract and produce products made from virgin plastic. A profit driven interest of oil and chemical companies is the backbone of the plastic industry.

Problem with the process of recycling
China takes 70% of used plastics. Their plastics recycling industry can survive because of cheap labor and low environmental standards. It is very toxic to the people who work with plastic recycling, and detrimental to our air quality.

US Industry demands for used PET bottles is so large, we actually import from Latin America & Europe, even though we consume more PET bottles. Since there is little motivation on behalf of the consumer or the manufacturer, the used bottles end up in landfills.

Solutions
The development of closed loop systems where a used bottle can be turned into a new bottle without being downcycled.

Turn throw-aways into durable building materials. Even downcycled materials have value. Plastic lumber, for example, takes advantage of the durable quality of plastic to play a useful role outside without having to use the resources of wood lumber which needs to be replaced relatively often. We should consider how to take a material which doesn’t degrade and put it in a place that we want it to last forever instead of having the attitude that plastic is disposable. We need to implement wisdom on how to use this amazing material well.

Because recycling is ineffective, the best approach is to eliminate it from the source through refusing plastic in the first place - reducing our consumption of plastic - repairing items that are broken instead of throwing them away - and re-using the items you feel are essential. For example, with a little intention at the market, we can choose to purchase goods packaged in glass, then re-use or recycle the material.

Bottle Bills
Bottle bills can be a strong motivator to get people to turn in their used PET bottles. Michigan insists on manufacturers offering $.10 for each bottle returned and they have a 90% return rate.

The structure of bottle bills:
The consumer pays a deposit on a bottle when we purchase a drink. When we return the bottle, we get that deposit returned. The stores receive the deposit plus a handling fee for the saved bottles from the manufacturer. This places responsibility for waste on the manufacturer instead of municipal waste systems. It also encourages people to pick up PET bottles they see as litter in the community. Understandably, there is fierce opposition from profit driven manufacturers.