91% of plastic isn't recycled (2018)

Re:91% of plastic isn't recycled (2018) by ngokevin on Tuesday September 15, 2020 @04:31PM (#24486363)

An idea is to get the companies to internalize these costs through a carbon tax which can be invested into climate change action (which is another story). At the moment, the consequence is that companies have zero incentive to act for the planet, so they will continue their behaviors.

Perhaps they pass some of these costs down to consumers which makes them less likely to purchase (and then litter) non-biodegradables. Or they can provide a cheaper good to avoid a carbon tax which encourages consumer to buy that alternative.

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Re:91% of plastic isn't recycled (2018) by afarrell on Tuesday September 15, 2020 @04:40PM (#24486459)

If the plastic is sequestered in a landfill, then what is the carbon externality?

Does decomposing plastic emit methane?

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Re:91% of plastic isn't recycled (2018) by cmrdporcupine on Tuesday September 15, 2020 @05:39PM (#24487023)

I think it's important to at least partially separate the issues of climate change from plastic pollution. For some reason these two have become entwined together in the public mind. We need to get a handle on plastic pollution, and yes, it's a product of the petrochemical industry so there is that, but it's not the same type or scale of problem as the emergency around tailpipe / smokestack CO2 or methane emissions.

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