[noughtme]

Or, "Public has head in sand about plastic recycling." In my city it's public knowledge (even if not well known) that nearly all plastics that get collected on recycling day end up in the local landfill, yet everyone dutifully washes, separates and collects plastics for recycling. This costs tax payers hundreds of millions of dollars, just so they can feel good about not putting plastic in the trash.

[anigbrowl]

Instead of blaming the public who are doing their best and making an effort, send the bill to the people who are lying and not making the effort. Maybe send some of them to jail too, the US has far too much tolerance for corporate fraud.

[gallego2007]

This is really the only way to improve the situation. Hold the companies generating the plastic “trash” responsible via taxes/fines. The regulatory pressure will make a difference.

[plussed_reader]

Maybe instead of jail we can get those convicted to have the recycle logo branded on their forehead?

[throw10920]

> Instead of blaming the public who are doing their best and making an effort, send the bill to the people who are lying and not making the effort

Evidence for this? I can point to dozens of members of the public that I know who aren't making an effort or doing their best, and people in companies who are. It seems like you just have an axe to grind.

[anigbrowl]

The people who are recycling their plastics are doing their best, even though their well-intentioned actions aren't effective. A previous post was suggesting that they are somehow at fault for not paying ore attention and compelling regulators to act.

[mikestew]

In my city it's public knowledge...

As in, a URL that you could post or something? Because if Redmond, WA came out and made it "public knowledge" that Waste Management was tossing our plastic straight into the landfill, someone's getting a spanking. Now, that's not to say that it doesn't happen, I'm just questioning that any municipality would be so upfront as to make public want many already suspect. But if that's actually the case, I'd love to read up.

[noughtme]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-recycling-p...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/enquete-recycling-pl...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/recycling-glass-eigh...

[ZeroGravitas]

None of these links back up your initial allegation.

They mostly talk about a recycling center that is producing low quality recyclables with other materials mixed in because they've had issues with their sorting machines, currently involving a lawsuit with the manufacturer.

The closest parallel is the use of crushed mixed glass as landfill cover, which is down-cycling, since they'd need to buy sand instead, which crushed glass is a substitute for.

[mikestew]

Thank you for going to the effort to post links. However, I wasted my time on the first link only to find that it doesn't support your assertion. I will assume the other two links are equally unsupportive of your point (and sibling comment confirms).