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| Plastic Bottles |
There is this new debate going on about
whether the deposit return scheme for plastic bottles would work in Britain or
not. While some people want this scheme to be implemented but others are of the
opinion that it would never work.
But the real question is, why wouldn’t Britain
implement such a scheme if it is able to send approx. 4 million containers a
week to the recycling facilities rather than to landfill sites?
Let’s first discuss what
the program is and how would it work. A deposit return scheme of plastic
bottles means that when you are shopping, you will pay a little extra amount on
each and every bottle purchased. This amount will be refunded when the bottle
will be returned to a specific location for recycling.
This is not a bad incentive for general
public as it gives them the motivation to recycle plastic bottles rather than
just simply throw them away in the trash.
This isn’t just random talk
but proven mechanism to increase recycling rates. Such programs are already
being implemented in at least 12 countries like Sweden, Denmark, Australia and
Germany. In these countries, percentage of plastic bottles recycled goes up to
99 percent as compared to Britain’s paltry 50 percent.
British people still are not convinced yet
with few authorities calling this deposit return scheme a distraction.
But in all this debate, people are missing
the actual point. While there is agreement on ensuring proper disposal of trash
and having a deposit return scheme is better than not but the actual point is
that single-use plastic beverage containers should not even exist. Solutions
should be looked upon on how to eliminate them entirely rather than arguing
where to send them.
The main problem that exists with recycling
plastics is that it isn’t a straightforward process. Plastic is always recycled into a
lesser version of itself every time it is processed. This means that a plastic
bottle will be recycled into another plastic bottle or it might become
something else down the road. But at some point, all such items will not be
recyclable anymore and will go landfill sites anyway.
In short, improving recycling rates for
plastic bottles is not the ultimate solution to the problem.
A deposit return scheme has its advantages
and could be pursued. But the real debate should be on how to eliminate such
items from the waste stream. That would be the only way on how we actually save
the environment.
And what about reverting back to refillable
glass bottles? It is something that can be recycled almost infinitely without
ever degrading and one that makes more sense environmentally.
All such things encourage a healthy debate
and as long as the aim is protecting the environment, these debates should go
on until a feasible solution is reached.
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