Question by Matt3471: How can we make recycling more convenient?
I think more people would be willing to recycle more if it were more convenient. So what can we do to help? Should more laws be passed at the national level to promote recycling?
Best answer:
Answer by Henry N
If the consumer had to pay a small deposit fee on every product that could be recycled or had packaging that could be recycled, which could be redeemed when deposited for recycling, this could spur an industry or even municipalities that would find a way to collect the used products and packaging for recycling to redeem the deposit fees. These industries or municipalities would probably provide free recycling bins for every household for weekly pickup. States could pass legislation to require these kinds of deposit fees on a whole list of products and packaging sold in their States.
Give your answer to this question below!
In my community, we have what’s known as “commingled” recycling, and it’s the smartest, most convenient thing I’ve seen to encourage recycling. There is no sorting and no bins. You just simply separate all of your recycling, except glass, from your garbage (we have two trash cans in the kitchen), and then take the whole bag out and put it in the wheeled cart that you put out at the curb just as you would your garbage. The glass has to be put out in a separate bag, due to breakage/contamination, but other than that it could not be easier. I hope more communities are looking into adopting this method. In the meantime, I would strongly suggest contacting your waste service company and requesting it.
My opinion on your last question is that education is much more effective than legislation. Here in the US we have strict laws regarding seat belt and helmet usage and yet people choose to ignore them all the time, some even out of resentment for the laws themselves. The safety statistics, however, are staggeringly in favor of wearing them, and if more people knew the facts, I believe that would save far more lives than the laws do.
So, my answer would be better education in schools and an increase in public awareness campaigns combined with more efficient disposal and collection methods.
I think that a Law about RECYCLING would be a great idea and Helpful to the environment!
Law is a double edged sword – it can promote and demote. Recently, Ireland residents require to pay garbage bills by the weight. This is to promote reduce, reuse, and recycle. Coincidentally, there are 3 times more burn accidents in hospital throughout the country. Turns out, a lot of people are burning their garbage to avoid the bill. This result in even worse environmental damage.
One should realized that 90% of our trash is packaging. In order to make recycling more convenient, the packaging should be fewer and more convenient. Maybe lawmakers should focus on the industry level to cut packaging use in the first place.
In Japan, most packagings have instructions on how to recycle the item. They are marked by a symbol so people know which type of material it is and how to dispose of them. That is something that can be done on the lawmaker’s level.
Clever simple design can reduce material use. They should be easily collapsed so as to reduce the clutter and burden of collecting recycling. I love those shampoo refills in Japan. Instead of buying another bottle, one can buy a bag for refills. The bag collapse thin and nicely.
In the city where I live, the waste management had eliminated the need to sort the recyclables. They figure that many people make mistakes anyway, so they hire people to sort them at the plant. It does make me feel more comfortable not needing to have separate bins since I live in an apartment where space is limited.
Anther problem I heard from people who rarely recycle is that expect for plastic bags, paper, and cans, they don’t know if things are recyclable. If the sorting is done at the plant, these people might recycle more often.
I’ ve seen states that have recycling centers in shopping centers.
Perhaps we should charge for trash pickup by the pound and credit recylable pickup by the pound and you pay or earn the difference.
The main drawback that I see is that there has to be a “market” for recyclable products to make it worth their collection. When we can recylce paper products into fuels for our vehicles, then they will become valuable and everyone with start collecting and turning them back in.
I would think that there should be a method to turn paper into alcohol, instead of using corn.
Communities that have curb-side recycling generally have higher rates of recycling. In many California towns, as part of your garbage service, you get recycling bins so you can sort cans, bottles, & paper, & the trash collectors take it each week w/the garbage. Very easy!
If your town doesn’t offer this, ask for it. Get the town to contract with collection agencies that include recycling services.
Because once you start doing it every day at home, you get into the habit. Then you start doing it at work, school, on the road, everywhere. It becomes ingrained.
The main reason people don’t recycle is that either they don’t have a service or didn’t know they could in their comunity. Recycling takes will and your self power to do. for example, my family recycles glass and aluminum. but our comunity also satrted recycling #1-7 plastics and paper is recycled. i see so much trash in the bin thats paper i freak! so i came up with a plan!
1. place a bin inside so that people see it not in the garage.
2.place a handy dandy recycling sheet over the bin so people know what to recycle.
3. have a chore for kids that they take out the recycling for the garbage guy.(also our recycling guy)
to encourage people to recycle we need to do these following things.
1. Make better comunication and organization.
2. make a law that states that every comunty must recycle.
3. show friends and family how to properly recycle. go over the nation showing great recycling tips!
really the main culprit here is organization, will, and procrastination.
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