There’s no denying it; the world is experiencing a plastic waste crisis and it’s growing – but so is public awareness and action.
There’s no denying it; the world is experiencing a plastic waste crisis and it’s growing – but so is public awareness and action.
As a nation, we’re doing a pretty good job collecting plastic bags and wraps for recycling. But we need to do a much better job creating demand for this recycled plastic film.
Lately, the wider plastics industry has been feeling the heat on materials disposal and litter.
In an effort to reduce litter and increase recycling, more and more jurisdictions are turning to deposit return systems for the recovery of beverage containers. These systems require consumers to pay a small deposit at the point of purchase, and they get the deposit back when they return the empty container for recycling.
Increasing end market demand and improving infrastructure are essential ingredients for a sustainable plastics recycling industry – and for recycling as a whole.
More than just being a pivotal year for recycling, I hope 2018 is a pivotal year for humankind. Our survival depends on us protecting “the commons” (our shared land, forests, oceans, air and other natural elements). However, we as a society continue to allow financial reasons to get in the way of fully protecting our most essential resources.
At the 2018 Waste Management Sustainability Forum earlier this month, the leader of a startup called Zipline presented an idea that was quite outside the realm of recycling but that could nevertheless help to inspire our industry’s sense of strategic thinking.
