The end of recycling?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Materials that once held value have seen pricing collapse. Newspaper, cardboard boxes and plastic
bottles for instance are piling up at recycling plants, which have lead local officials across the
country to charge residents more to collect recyclables and send some of the stockpiled materials to
landfills. (4)

https://www.meridianwaste.com/media/7425...er_web.pdf

So, is the experiment over?

---

More from the above:

Where to from here
Most will agree that the industry has reached a crisis. For new markets within the U.S. to begin to tackle and absorb the recycling issue
stateside, the infrastructure needs to be identified, permitted and built which takes years. Plus, the manufacturing industry needs to
be clear with communicating the materials it’s willing to purchase and at what quality standards to help shape the recycling industry
of tomorrow. In the meantime, the viable options being explored range from drastic price increases, changing the recycling mix by
eliminating glass, paper, plastics and certain other commodities, or suspending recycling collection until more favorable markets
return. Education is important to help curb contamination trends, however, even clean bales are not guaranteed to make it to China
nor are they commanding the same return

[Yonadav]

I have seen some screwy recycling projects. For example, I am familiar with one project that was trying to further utilize the recycling of cardboard by making objects out of it that are typically made out of plastic. But the concept was pretty silly because it took the biodegradable cardboard and turned it into something that is no so biodegradable. They ground up the cardboard into dust, which was pretty energy intensive, and then used plastic resin to mold the cardboard dust into things such as coat hangers. Sure, it uses a bit less plastic. But it encapsulates the biodegradable cardboard in plastic resin so it can't rot.

Right now, the best thing that a person can do is to very actively try to cut down on the number of things that they would throw into the bin. Stop buying bottled and canned drinks entirely. Purify water at home. Don't buy stuff that is packaged as single servings. Cook meals instead of buying stuff that you just have to heat up. That really cuts down on garbage.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I like the drink powders they have now, so I'm reducing the cans I bring home.

[fredd bear]

@Yonadav

Distressing to learn.

In Australia, we have a pretty good recycling  system;

Domestic level: separation of recyclable material into separate bin.

Overall: there is 10 cent deposit on metal, glass and plastic bottles and cans. There are  recycling centres where you may take your container. The boot (trunk)of my car holds about $40 worth of containers. Thats a lot of stuffing around, and space needed while you save until you have enough. Nearest recycling centre is a ten minute drive away.  I tend not to bother. I just put the containers in my recycling bin.

One rarely sees an empty bottle/can on the side of roads, or in public places, including the beach. There is also  a largish group of people who go around collecting from public places.

I expect my government may keep the current system in place, and quietly begin dumping the stuff as landfill. Yep, they are exactly that stupidly dishonest. We'll find out eventually; that kind of deception is hard to hide for long; too many people know about it

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a shopping trolley.** This is helping me cut right back on my use of plastic bags. ---Here; large single use plastic bags are prohibited. Supermarkets now sell multi use plastic bags for 15 cents.This simple practice has reduced our use by millions of bags annually, in this state alone.

**Ebay, $35 delivered. It's like a large bag on wheels. It has three wheels on each side ,so it can climb stairs

[Yonadav]

@Yonadav

Distressing to learn.

In Australia, we have a pretty good recycling  system;

Domestic level: separation of recyclable material into separate bin.

Overall: there is 10 cent deposit on metal, glass and plastic bottles and cans. There are  recycling centres where you may take your container. The boot (trunk)of my car holds about $40 worth of containers. Thats a lot of stuffing around, and space needed while you save until you have enough. Nearest recycling centre is a ten minute drive away.  I tend not to bother. I just put the containers in my recycling bin.

One rarely sees an empty bottle/can on the side of roads, or in public places, including the beach. There is also  a largish group of people who go around collecting from public places.

I expect my government may keep the current system in place, and quietly begin dumping the stuff as landfill. Yep, they are exactly that stupidly dishonest. We'll find out eventually; that kind of deception is hard to hide for long; too many people know about it

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a shopping trolley.** This is helping me cut right back on my use of plastic bags. ---Here; large single use plastic bags are prohibited. Supermarkets now sell multi use plastic bags for 15 cents.This simple practice has reduced our use by millions of bags annually, in this state alone.

**Ebay, $35 delivered. It's like a large bag on wheels. It has three wheels on each side ,so it can climb stairs

We have done the same thing with bags in several of our larger cities. When I lived in Chicago I was involved in the push to ban the single use plastic bags there. I live in a tiny town now. I always take my backpack grocery shopping with me, to load my groceries into after paying for them. They think its weird, because no one brings their own bag to the store with them around here. They got the bright idea of telling me that I couldn't carry my backpack in the store with me. I fought them on that, and they decided to change their minds.

[fredd bear]

@Yonadav

Distressing to learn.

In Australia, we have a pretty good recycling  system;

Domestic level: separation of recyclable material into separate bin.

Overall: there is 10 cent deposit on metal, glass and plastic bottles and cans. There are  recycling centres where you may take your container. The boot (trunk)of my car holds about $40 worth of containers. Thats a lot of stuffing around, and space needed while you save until you have enough. Nearest recycling centre is a ten minute drive away.  I tend not to bother. I just put the containers in my recycling bin.

One rarely sees an empty bottle/can on the side of roads, or in public places, including the beach. There is also  a largish group of people who go around collecting from public places.

I expect my government may keep the current system in place, and quietly begin dumping the stuff as landfill. Yep, they are exactly that stupidly dishonest. We'll find out eventually; that kind of deception is hard to hide for long; too many people know about it

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a shopping trolley.** This is helping me cut right back on my use of plastic bags. ---Here; large single use plastic bags are prohibited. Supermarkets now sell multi use plastic bags for 15 cents.This simple practice has reduced our use by millions of bags annually, in this state alone.

**Ebay, $35 delivered. It's like a large bag on wheels. It has three wheels on each side ,so it can climb stairs

We have done the same thing with bags in several of our larger cities. When I lived in Chicago I was involved in the push to ban the single use plastic bags there. I live in a tiny town now. I always take my backpack grocery shopping with me, to load my groceries into after paying for them. They think its weird, because no one brings their own bag to the store with them around here. They got the bright idea of telling me that I couldn't carry my backpack in the store with me. I fought them on that, and they decided to change their minds.

 Good for you. Were you willing to shop in another town? 

I spent  two of the most miserable years of my childhood living in Kapunda, pop ca 5000, an old mining town, 50 miles from Adelaide.  To me it was like the dark side of the moon (so to speak)--- I mean, I could't even give sister a clip around the ear without having some busy body ringing my mum--AND the bloody Catholic school had 3 classes to a room, and  100 year old earth closets for us kids..

I just went to the supermarket for some soft drinks.---Right now it is: 42C under my pergola.

[Angrboda]

**Ebay, $35 delivered. It's like a large bag on wheels. It has three wheels on each side ,so it can climb stairs

How do you transport the thing to and from the store? Got a link? I have a shopping cart that folds up, but it's too big to travel unfolded in my healthcare worker's car.

[fredd bear]

**Ebay, $35 delivered. It's like a large bag on wheels. It has three wheels on each side ,so it can climb stairs

How do you transport the thing to and from the store?  Got a link?  I have a shopping cart that folds up, but it's too big to travel unfolded in my healthcare worker's car.

I live in a hilly area, and am unable to walk any distance due to arthritis. I am obliged to take my car to the supermarket.

Not sure the trolley is sufficiently robust to push or drag behind to the store. For that, I think you might need one a bit sturdier.

The link below will give you a good idea and you will be able to look at what else is is available. For info: I buy A LOT on Ebay. Most stuff is fairly cheap (under $50) However, did buy my current TV and laptop on Ebay.

https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from...s&_sacat=0