I agree fraud is happening in the UK, because the government specifically set up a market for recycling credits. However, I doubt consumers are thinking of that when they're chucking their appliances in the garbage bin. I myself were not aware of such a program, and unless such a program is widespread that example has limited applicability.
>Think about, whats the point of a recycling contract that says 'you could recycle only 0.1% if you feel like it'?
That's... basically how I treat most public recycling bins. They're some hopelessly contaminated with non-recyclables that I assume they're collected as trash. It's entirely unreasonable to expect that just because someone put something in the recycle bin, that the city would bend over backwards to ensure it's recycled. Again, I'm also not saying that there aren't people who actually believe that ("wishcycling" is a thing), but what I'm saying is that anyone who has given the topic a bit of thought would realize that:
1. not everything can be recycled
2. even something that could theoretically be recycled, can be contaminated so that it can't be recycled
3. recyclers are subject to economic constraints
4. therefore, it's entirely unreasonable to expect that everything that you throw in recycling ends up recycled
Applied to the original topic of appliances/electronics, this means that I expect they recycle the bits that are economically feasible to recycle, and toss the rest.
>that happens too. I have taken my old electronic goods to a commercial recycler. You have to pay to dispose of large appliances.
Right, but is the service you're paying for "getting rid of the electronics in a way that complies with local laws" or "getting rid of the electronics in a way that complies with local laws, and ensure that it gets properly recycled"?
So last year I had a lot of old electronics, I spesifically looked for a recycler, not a landfill.
I spesifically asked if they can recycle the old motherboard before handing it over. If they said no, I would go to someone else. I was prepared to pay a reasonable fee.
Maybe there is someone in Uk that does actually recycle 95% of the motherboard and charges £2 for their service, but they can't get any business because of all the fraudsters that pretend to recycle for free and actually don't
There is no way to distinguish between the 0.001% recycler and 100% recycler.
Then thats what you have to tell that to the client, and the client is free to look for a different proffeshional if he is not happy.
However if you lie, and client thinks thay you have insulated things that are impossible to insulate, thats fraud. And that's happening.
> I'm not aware of recycling contracts that stipulate x% must be recycled
Think about, whats the point of a recycling contract that says 'you could recycle only 0.1% if you feel like it'?
> we were originally discussing ... consumers being somehow deceived
that happens too. I have taken my old electronic goods to a commercial recycler. You have to pay to dispose of large appliances.
Now I realise there is about 60% chance that they took out and sold the valuable copper, and the rest is sitting in a river somewhere, leaching heavy metals and poisonong children