Thursday 6 September 2007

It's easy isn't it?

Most people believe we should be recycling more but I wonder how many people buy a product based on it's recycling potential.

Currently our local council will collect and recycle: tin and steel cans, paper (not shredded), cardboard (not plasticised and not Tetrapak), glass (but not broken and no metal lids or caps), plastic (PP Polypropylene and PET Polyester only).

This means that a whole array of items end up in landfill.

There are some easy conventional ways to increase the amount of packaging that is recycled: educate the consumer and encourage purchases of items that can be recycled, and persuade councils to collect and recycle more types of plastic.

Alternatively there's my plan.

I propose that goods should only be sold in materials that are recycled by 90% of local authorities.

This would mean the end of Tetrapak or any other mixed material packaging. It would also reduce the proliferation of plastics that, while recycling is possible, aren't currently collected. And it must be possible, mustn't it?

I wonder which way is, ultimately, the easiest?

1 comment:

Rana said...

Excellent idea!

But we need to use economics, not just rely on people's good nature ...