Recycling is not the ultimate answer for plastic pollution
You might have heard a lot about 3R, 5R, and probably many more Rs to come. One of the key Rs that always stand there is RECYCLE. Without doubt, recycling is truly good in reducing waste, nevertheless, at the ridiculous rate that we are using plastic nowadays, recycling cannot be the ultimate answer.
It is true that recycling is much better than simply burying or burning plastic, but to keep up with the rate of consumption, we need to find a new solution. If you rethink about the problem, it is much more important to solve the root problem, which is to stop us from using so much plastic in the first place!
Plastic recycling is quite challenging in a number of steps. One key problem is that most recycling plants cannot separate different types of plastic from each other, so that the process could be less efficient, more polluting and costs more. In many developing countries, plastic is being recycled in individual or household businesses, which are not officially regulated by environmental bodies, hence the actual environmental costs can be so much higher.
The question we have today should be: How to stop plastic from being used so much at such a low price? One possible solution is to apply higher plastic consumption tax or price, which have been adopted in various developed countries like England. Furthermore, a promotion for Circular Economy is necessary, as this is truly how we can increase the lifespan of plastic products, which was born for good purpose. The partnership between Loop and Tesco, the giant supermarket in the UK, in testing refillable containers for daily products like ice-cream, milk and deodorants, is proving its ambition in a zero-waste future!
Moving away from plastic is not easy, it is cheap, convenient and functionable. But, again, we have only one Planet, you still remember it?
Take action today and join our Bring Your Own Campaign!
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