We have long been aware of the importance of recycling and making greener choices in order to reduce the impact of global warming on the planet, but in countries as vast as the U.S, it seems that more needs to be done. The States’ recycling rate has remained relatively low for many years, slowly increasing but by a minor rise. Environmental activists are saying that more needs to be done in order to make a more notable contribution to the recycling efforts of other countries all attempting to lower their carbon footprint. Those on all sides of this vital issue agree that bigger changes need to occur, and soon, to the recycling systems.
More than half of the states in America already follow some variety of the EPR laws on recycling, which cover products such as batteries, paint and electronic items. Some of these date back to the early 1990s, but there are new efforts being made to put EPR systems for packaging back in place to help increase the amount of recycling occurring in the U.S. There have been initiatives set up to help companies look into ways they can streamline their packaging recovery and recycling processes. Many companies are reluctant to engage in conversations about the situation, which is influenced for the most part by the fact that many brands don’t know much about the issue – in teaching them more about the importance of recycling and how it can benefit their company, it will hopefully lead to more companies taken the responsibility and engaging in more environmentally-friendly processes.
Waste management companies are also less than keen to discuss the new EPR schemes, as it could change how they operate. However, commodities groups are being supportive of bottle bills – these follow the concept that you put deposits on containers, which give consumers are higher incentive to return them afterwards in order to get the deposit back. There are numerous goals in mind, which include the financial savings from shifting the cost of recycling from the taxpayer to the companies themselves, as well as the fairness of spreading the expenses to those involved. There should also be more products designed with the disposal in mind, which could help people recycle more. It could even lead to more jobs in the recycling industry, with more materials being collected.