Recycling: Why be Bothered?

[HARK!]

Inflation has driven hundreds of private bottle redemption centers out of business, putting pressure on states to bail out the businesses, despite signs consumers are increasingly disinterested in hauling their recyclables to the facilities.

Ten states have laws requiring consumers to pay deposits between 5 and 15 cents for every redeemable plastic, glass and metal bottle they buy: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Vermont.

Multiple reports now find those centers shuttering as shoppers return fewer bottles, apparently deeming the nickels and dimes not worth their time.

Rising costs, consumer disinterest have broken U.S. bottle-recycling industry

Inflation has driven hundreds of private bottle redemption centers out of business, putting pressure on states to bail out the businesses, despite signs consumers are increasingly disinterested in hauling their recyclables to the facilities.

www.washingtontimes.com

Even with cash incentives, Bidenomics has exposed how committed residents of the Blue States are to conservation efforts.

 

[HARK!]

The recycling center closest to me started charging me to accept recyclables. I paid for it; until I found a place in the next county that will accept them at no charge. I don't pay for trash pickup; and my buying decisions are strongly influenced by whether or not any waste would be recyclable. I recycle, upcycle, resell, or donate nearly everything that I discard.

 

[d taylor]

The recycling center closest to me started charging me to accept recyclables. I paid for it; until I found a place in the next county that will accept them at no charge. I don't pay for trash pickup; and my buying decisions are strongly influenced by whether or not any waste would be recyclable. I recycle, resell, or donate nearly everything that I discard.

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You do not pay for trash pick up, where do you live.

 

[GreatLakes4Ever]

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You do not pay for trash pick up, where do you live.

@HARK! must rent and doesn’t realize garbage pick up is folded into their cost of rent.

 

[d taylor]

@HARK! must rent and doesn’t realize garbage pick up is folded into their cost of rent.

May be so.

 

[HARK!]

You do not pay for trash pick up, where do you live.

I live in an area where the home owner must hire a service for trash pickup. I choose to make eco-friendly buying choices, and recycle, instead.

 

[PloverWing]

Wait, do you folks live in places where the local city/county government doesn't pick up your trash? Wow. I've always lived in places with free curbside trash pickup (noting that "free" means "paid for by local taxes"). I thought that was the norm.

In my area, we also have free curbside recycling. Our green bucket is for trash, our blue bucket is for recycling, and we put both buckets out to the curb once a week for pickup.

@HARK! , I applaud you for paying attention to the containers when making buying decisions.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Inflation has driven hundreds of private bottle redemption centers out of business, putting pressure on states to bail out the businesses, despite signs consumers are increasingly disinterested in hauling their recyclables to the facilities.

Ten states have laws requiring consumers to pay deposits between 5 and 15 cents for every redeemable plastic, glass and metal bottle they buy: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Vermont.

Multiple reports now find those centers shuttering as shoppers return fewer bottles, apparently deeming the nickels and dimes not worth their time.

Rising costs, consumer disinterest have broken U.S. bottle-recycling industry

Inflation has driven hundreds of private bottle redemption centers out of business, putting pressure on states to bail out the businesses, despite signs consumers are increasingly disinterested in hauling their recyclables to the facilities.

www.washingtontimes.com

Even with cash incentives, Bidenomics has exposed how committed residents of the Blue States are to conservation efforts.

China put a ban on our recycling items in 2018. They were recieving almost 70% of our stuff now they take 0. This is the crux of the problem.

 

[comana]

Wait, do you folks live in places where the local city/county government doesn't pick up your trash? Wow. I've always lived in places with free curbside trash pickup (noting that "free" means "paid for by local taxes"). I thought that was the norm.

In my area, we also have free curbside recycling. Our green bucket is for trash, our blue bucket is for recycling, and we put both buckets out to the curb once a week for pickup.

@HARK! , I applaud you for paying attention to the containers when making buying decisions.

Everywhere I have lived in the US, trash service is paid separately by the homeowner. My city has several trash collection businesses to choose from.

 

[HARK!]

China put a ban on our recycling items in 2018. They were recieving almost 70% of our stuff now they take 0. This is the crux of the problem.

I have seen several reports about China refusing to accept our plastic anymore. It was because the plastic that we were sending them wasn't properly sorted. If you're going to recycle; do it right. That's the same reason the the recycling center nearest me started charging. People weren't properly sorting their recyclables.

I'm not aware that China was ever taking 'return for deposit' bottles. I thought that those went back to the bottling companies, like they did in many states in the 60's. Somehow Mexico can still find a way to do it that way.

 

[Pommer]

I have seen several reports about China refusing to accept our plastic anymore. It was because the plastic that we were sending them wasn't properly sorted. If you're going to recycle; do it right. That's the same reason the the recycling center nearest me started charging. People weren't properly sorting their recyclables.

I'm not aware that China was ever taking 'return for deposit' bottles. I thought that those went back to the bottling companies, like they did in many states in the 60's. Somehow Mexico can still find a way to do it that way.

Maybe it had something to do with the tariffs that we had placed on Chinese imports?

 

[HARK!]

Maybe it had something to do with the tariffs that we had placed on Chinese imports?

Or maybe it has something to do with what multiple sources reported.

 

[Pommer]

By mid 2017, China became more aggressive towards the recycling industry. First import fees were raised and the enforcement actions were ramped up on inbound shipments of recyclable waste. This program is known as National Sword. [emphasis original] It was initially targeted at widespread smuggling operations, flooding the Chinese recycling industry. Submitting low grade or even completely banned recyclable materials.

Throughout 2017, the scope of National Sword continued to expand. The changes were a result of an increased awareness of the importance of environmental management. Combined with a retaliatory incentive to oppose the imposition of a wide range of tariffs,by the Trump administration. [emphasis mine] Throughout 2017, China’s new recycling policies continued to levy tariffs and increase fees on imported recyclables. Then China began to ban certain categories of the materials altogether. The cumulative effect of these actions has been devastating to the American recycling industry. Significantly reducing and curtailing the largest and most robust export market for recyclables.

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