Few would argue that we have a recycling problem in America. In the simplest possible terms, we do not recycle nearly the volume of waste we could. We throw most of our waste into landfills or incinerate it. But who is to blame? That depends on who you ask.
If the Washington Post is your preferred source of information, you might believe that the biggest culprit in America’s recycling problem is the plastics industry. Throw in a little bit of government ineptness and you have a perfectly plausible excuse for why we throw so much away. You might even believe that consumers are the victims here.
Unfortunately, the failure to recycle is a systemic problem that reaches to the very core of American society. Not only that, but there is also plenty of blame to go around. It is not just the plastics industry creating tons of plastic that never get recycled. We also need to account for government regulation, consumer participation, our collective obsession over convenience, and other factors.
Blaming the Numbers is Easy
The plastics industry is an easy target for activists of all sorts thanks to the numbering system they developed decades ago. Blaming the numbers for creating a confusing recycling environment is pretty easy, too. But people who do so demonstrate a lack of knowledge concerning why the numbers were created to begin with.
When first implemented, the numbers had nothing to do with recycling. The plastics industry came up with the numbers as a standardized way of identifying the different types of plastics being used in manufacturing. They were intended for manufacturers and distributors, not consumers. They didn’t come into play for recycling purposes until the push for post-consumer recycling began in earnest in the late 1970s.
Even today, stamping numbers on plastic products does not mean the products are recyclable within a local community. The numbers have never meant that. In addition, the plastics industry has never made any such claims. To the extent that consumer recycling is confusing, it is not the plastics industry that has created the confusion.
Government and Consumers Are Equal Players
The Washington Post also complains that the federal government has not done enough to create recycling standards throughout the country. Such claims once again demonstrate ignorance. Here’s why: the federal government does not have the constitutional authority to force such standards on states, counties, and cities. Our system requires a separation of powers specifically for that reason.
Government can still be partly blamed for the recycling problem thanks to state and local governments trying to maintain control over the recycling industry. But their role in the recycling problem is minor compared to the role consumers play.
The Washington Post claims consumers find recycling more confusing than doing their taxes. If that is true, it’s only because consumers haven’t made learning about recycling a priority. There are only seven recycling numbers on plastic. It only takes a phone call to determine which numbers are recyclable in your local area. If that is more confusing than doing your taxes, you have more serious problems than recycling confusion.
Recycling Plastic Does Work
In closing, plastic recycling does work when it’s done properly. Just ask the good folks at Seraphim Plastics. Tennessee-based Seraphim Plastics buys industrial plastic scrap from producers in seven states. They successfully recycle it by turning it into a regrind material. Similar companies around the country do the exact same thing.
Sure, we have a recycling problem in this country. But there is plenty of blame to go around. Making the plastics industry the sole villain is both shortsighted and ignorant.
