Recycling in the US is often times a nice idea in theory but in practice, is more trouble than some counties are finding it’s worth which has led to many places ending their recycling pick up. To keep this from happening, some think that the onus for the bill should be on the producers of the plastic.

We create a lot of our plastic from packaging, which consumers do not have any choice in. They can try and purchase things with less packaging but this ability is greatly limited by location and income. With that in mind, new legislation would tax producers for how much recyclable waste they produce and then use that money to pay for the recycling.

This does two things. One, it will help keep recycling alive in many communities who would otherwise not be able to afford to continue the service. Two, it will encourage manufactures to use less packaging which will cut the issue off at its source. Less plastic in the world is a good thing!