Stay off the angry train - Jump into action

It's crazy - as I scroll through business social media posts I am seeing an uptick of anger in regard to plastics and recycling. Seemingly angry people call out others for irresponsible behavior, false information, and despicable treatment of our environment. Passionate comments, varying degrees of first-hand knowledge, and lots of blaming and pointing. This public platform seems to be what people need to vent or blame.  


I struggle. Should I celebrate that people are taking notice? It seems like the wrong kind of notice, not necessarily productive or positive but attention nonetheless. I wholeheartedly agree that we have some problems when it comes to "stuff" I see these as the three most significant issues: 

1. Litter is a big problem. 

2. Items being landfilled are a big problem.

3. 100% recyclable (and in demand) items being littered or landfilled is a HUGE problem. 

What solutions do we have? 

Litter is a big problem. An unpopular but pretty basic issue, consumers need to take responsibility for the products they buy/use and ensure that they do not litter, accidentally or on purpose. Should an event cause litter it can and needs to be quickly remediated. Litter is 100% preventable. Litter solved. 

Items being landfilled is a big problem. We all seem to like our stuff, but unfortunately, most "things" have a life cycle, and they get discarded and replaced once worn, damaged, or a newer shiner model becomes available. It seems to have taken a bit but we are all starting to catch on to this product life cycle and what happens to items once they're no longer "wanted". Manufacturers are currently being tasked with ensuring that the items they manufacture have readily available recycling/reuse options - which is great and overdue. Manufacturers that design with recycling and reuse in mind will create environmentally friendly products. If all items that are manufactured have an end-of-life plan that consists of recycling or reuse, landfilling should be solved. This issue is super easy for me to hypothetically solve because as a consumer I have no real information or impact. I get to tell the companies what I want and expect they make it happen - now. Is the idea of no landfill (ever) really achievable? Is the idea of products that are 100% reusable or recyclable (in the near future) realistic? As a consumer, what changes would I be forced to make this a reality, and are consumers willing to make those changes? Landfill solved, in theory. 

100% recyclable (and in demand) items being littered or landfilled is a HUGE problem. What can you do when solutions are in place but efforts are not being made to get quality items into the recycling bins? Another issue is when quality items are being placed in the bins but are being contaminated by items that should not be placed in the recycling bins. These "breaking" articles about how recycling isn't real or effective certainly do not help drive people's recycling motivation. Why bother doing it well, or at all if it has no positive impact. Speaking from a material recovery facility standpoint, your recycling quality does have a real, direct, and positive impact. Our facility will make every effort to recover and send recyclable material to the end user to become something new. You can bet on a percentage of recyclable items being downgraded due to wishcycling and contamination in the bins. This percentage can be greatly decreased by following program directions, reading bin labels, and knowing what can and cannot be recycled at your location. Recycling downgrades solved - if everyone does their part. 

We all know when we head to the doctor that there is a chance that what ails us may not be something the doctor can fix. I am fairly confident that no doctor has a 100% "healing" rate. Despite that, we go see a trained and knowledgeable professional to get the best advice and solutions for our health. The idea of boycotting doctors because they aren't able to completely heal every patient is as silly as deciding not to recycle because recycling rates aren't high enough. 

What we need to do at this time is ensure that we are doing our part - jump on the action train.


1. Am I recycling with care? Do I know what should and should not be placed in our recycling bins - am I certain to follow those guidelines? 

2. Am I buying with recycling in mind? Do I know what will happen to the products or their packaging when I'm done with them (can they be reused or recycled?)  

3. Are the products I'm buying made with recycled material?

4. Are there similar products that I am seeking that are more sustainable - making it a better choice?  

5. Do I let companies know my thoughts on the environmental impact of the products and the importance of sustainability and environmental impact? 



 

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