This is very confusing. I sort-of understand why it’s done this way but I do not agree with it. I’m not confused by the recycling effort that the consumer needs to make; I’m confused about the extent of sorting responsibility assigned to us.
Take this for example: in the UK, we have special labels to inform us how we need to recycle, what to recycle and where to recycle.
Why? In what world does that make any sense? Assuming I visit a large supermarket once a week, I would need to store all these plastics at home and then remember to take them along with me when I go shopping.
The reason (apparently) is because the recycling plants which subcontract their services to local governments (councils, we call them) have trouble with their machinery if we place plastic film and plastic bags with the other recyclables. They use automatic sorting at their plants and these types of plastics are (a) not recyclable at their plants; (b) some cannot be recycled at all, and (c) may contaminate the other recyclables.
Instead, large supermarkets are the designated drop-off points for film plastics such as those used to make plastic shopping bags and the plastic food cover film.
I found all this out from a recent letter sent out by my local council. They also do not want any Tetra Pak cartons in the recycle pile anymore due to the fact that Tetra Pak is generally paper covered with a plastic film coating and sometimes foil.
Wonderful! The local council suggests that residents should either put them in the non-recyclable rubbish bags or drop them off at a recycling centre. So, not the supermarkets this time, oh no. A third place where they collect everything.
Why on earth would I do that?
I’ll tell you why. Because there is the assumption that we are all responsible and will behave nicely toward the planet.
I am responsible and I like my planet. But what I don’t like is having to save certain packaging for the convenience of the recycling plant and their machinery. I also don’t like the idea of having to drive back to the supermarket where I bought something just to return the packaging. And I hate driving in a polluting vehicle to a recycling centre just to drop off a few empty Tetra Pak cartons of orange juice.
We have such an abundance of technology — surely this can be used to assist in sorting out recycled waste? Mixed recycled waste and hard-to-recycle packaging.
I make an effort to sort out my household waste; I would like to see local councils make more of an effort as well.
Until then, into the non-recyclable bin and off to a landfill they go.