Christopher Tang
We do know that we should put recyclable items in the recycle bin so that these items can be recycled into new materials. But do we know if these items will actually be recycled? To find out the truth, a group of reporters from the Guardian (a leading newspaper in the UK) tracked down the supply chain operations of US plastic waste and presented a chilling report in https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/17/recycled-plastic-america-global-crisis.
According to the Guardian, America generates 34.5 million tons of plastic waste each year. Due to strict regulations and high recycling costs, US exports about 1.6 million tons of plastic waste to China and Hong Kong to recover valuable plastics to be sold back to the western world. However, much of the plastic waste was not recyclable because it was contaminated with food or dirt; hence, the bulk of the waste ended up in China’s landfills. Since China banned the import of plastic waste (except the cleanest plastics) in late 2017, America has been shipping its plastic waste to other countries including: Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Turkey, etc.
Source: The Guardian
Because regulation is loose and law enforcement can be inconsistent in these developing countries, the waste management industry may not comply with environment health and safety regulations. Consequently, the Guardian report shows that poor workers churn out recycled pallets amid toxic fumes and foul stench. Long term exposure to the toxic fumes can cause long term health problems for these workers.
Source: The Guardian
The impact of America’s plastic waste is severe, and the current plastic recycling process is causing harm. The US government, business leaders, and consumers must work together to develop a better solution. What can we do?
First, the US government should establish new policies that are intended to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic. First, the government can impose higher taxes on virgin plastic to create incentive for manufacturers to use alternative packaging materials. Also, supermarkets should either ban or increase the price plastic shopping bags. Restaurants should ban plastic straws and reduce the use of plastic utensils. California launched several initiatives. In 2019, Berkeley required all takeout cups, straws, cartons and forks to be compostable and will charge these items in 2020. In August 2019, San Francisco International Airport banned single-use plastic water bottles. At the same time, California governor signed a bill that allow customers to bring their own to-go packages to restaurants as a way to reduce the demand for food containers.
Second, to ensure our plastic waste is recyclable, the government needs to develop education programs to educate consumers about proper procedure to prepare those empty plastic bottles and containers before they toss them into the recycle bin. More importantly, the government should educate consumers about how plastic waste has entered our food chain (especially seafood), and everyone is responsible to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic materials. In doing so, pleading ignorance can no longer be an excuse.
Ultimately, the plastic problem is a man-made problem. We are the problem, and we are the solution.
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