[ryandrake]

Why should consumers pay those fees or taxes? Businesses ultimately cause the problem by producing disposable goods, and should bear the cost of disposing their goods, not consumers. Charge manufacturers per-product based on how much of a cost/environmental impact it is to dispose of that product (and packaging!). Something like a 1¢/gram of plastic produced, charged to manufacturers, could make it more painful to produce wasteful products like bottled water and Keurig cups.

[wereHamster]

> Businesses ultimately cause the problem by producing disposable goods

People cause the problem by buying disposable goods. No business will produce something that nobody buys…

[coldtea]

On the other hand, businesses create needs no one had through advertisement and all kinds of psychological manipulation (which they study intensely) all the time...

If we disallowed ads, the kind that are manipulating everybody that a beer will get them laid and a new car will make them a better version of themselves, consumption would fall to much lower rates (and fact that what happened at periods when media went on prolonged strike).

[rad_gruchalski]

Yes, and the idea is here: make the disposable goods expensive to buy so people stop buying them.

[dlhavema]

But those costs will be passed onto whoever's buys their bulk products, who will then un turn pass the cost down to the end of the chain - consumers. It just makes everything cost more for end users still.

[evgen]

This argument fails the basic economic sniff-test. In such an environment where packaging waste is taxed any business that can figure out cost-effective ways to reduce the waste footprint of their product gains a competitive advantage that they can use to either increase profits or pass on the the consumer to gain market-share.