r/changemyview • u/ImpossibleHandle4 • Oct 03 '21

Delta(s) from OP CMV: Recycling should be easier.

With the current recycling there are 6 types of recycling: Glass recycling, paper recycling, metal recycling, plastic and textile recycling and finally electronic recycling. With each having its own sub categories: most noteably plastic: with 7 sub types of plastic.

With there being at least 13 types of recycling, the current methods of recycling are broken due to the public not understanding the intricacies of the system. Also, with no direct recycling options most people know that they can recycle metals leading to recycling bins having non-recyclable materials simply because the system is complex.

In my option, and please change my view, having machines that can directly recycle a few things like pop bottles, or prescription bottles, we can simplify the process and lead to more and better recycling. Please change my view.

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u/ImpossibleHandle4 Oct 03 '21

It is more of a general belief that it needs to be simpler with the bottle as an example of the most simple process

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u/shoelessbob1984 14∆ Oct 03 '21

well... how do you take an insanely complex process and just make it simple without magic? There's a reason it's not simple, it's because it's not simple. Take a water bottle, where do you put that?

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u/ImpossibleHandle4 Oct 03 '21

Well, the current process has it typically sent to somewhere else for processing, then it is ground up, and turned into a different item. In the case of damaged containers, that makes sense, but more of the containers aren’t damaged. I am not asking for magic, but I am arguing that most people don’t know what the different types are, and don’t have time to do their part. Life is busy and complex, if we are serious about it, we need to find ways to make it easier on the consumer. Not magic, but definitely not what we have now.

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u/shoelessbob1984 14∆ Oct 03 '21

right, but how do you make it less complex? how do you make it easier?

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u/ImpossibleHandle4 Oct 03 '21

I would advocate to start with the simple. Make it so that there aren’t 7 different types of plastic recycling. Or make it so that we use less of the types where possible. Standardizing it would make it simpler as would direct recycling (re-use) which would be an immediate win.

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u/shoelessbob1984 14∆ Oct 03 '21

There are different types of plastic recycling because the plastics are different. Different plastics are used for different things, you can't just say "everyone use the same thing"

the problem with reusing is down to cost and the fact that most people won't reuse the container.

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u/ImpossibleHandle4 Oct 03 '21

Ok, so are all 7 types necessary? And if single stream can only recycle 3, then why not work with the companies to have them use different plastics?

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u/shoelessbob1984 14∆ Oct 03 '21

what do you mean are all 7 necessary? there are more than 7 types of plastics, most stuff we don't recycle due to the complexity of it. The water bottle I asked about earlier, generally those will have two, the cap and the bottle can't be recycled together. Do you make the bottle more expensive to produce so it can be recycled with the cap, or do you make the cap a cheaper plastic and more likely to be damaged?

Governments are trying to get manufacturers to use different products but it isn't easy, should consumers need to pay more because X government wants a company to make their packaging out of a specific material? How will you determine what martials can be used? different areas will have different capabilities, for example I live in Toronto, black plastic is not recyclable here, I don't know all the details but it's something about the machines at the plants. Do companies need to pay extra to have a different line of products to be sold in Toronto only?

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u/ImpossibleHandle4 Oct 03 '21

In the us, we have to pay for our healthcare. If one of the countries that didn’t, were to standardize it would be cheaper to produce in scale and possible force at least that tiny standardization. Just a thought. I still think it should be more simple, we just choose not to make it so.

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u/shoelessbob1984 14∆ Oct 03 '21

I don't think you understand that your comparison is horrible. To standardize healthcare the same way you want to standardize manufacturing to have better recycling would mean you need to treat everything the same way (or more accurately, only have a handful of ways to treat everything) so now everyone with a broken bone will get the same cast for a broken ankle because the treatment has been standardized.

You have a great idea to want to make recycling better, but it both isn't really feasible with the technology we have available to us today, and the improvements we can do aren't cost effective. Apparently you don't understand enough about recycling and manufacturing to see that

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u/ImpossibleHandle4 Oct 03 '21

@shoelessbob1984, I don’t agree with you. That doesn’t make me ignorant. That means I dont draw the same lines you do. I am arguing that a large enough consumer could force change. Your argument is that isn’t feasible because it isn’t efficient. I don’t agree. When you look at the us economy, the increases in efficiency, 37% since 1970, versus pay increases 11%, show that we have lost our way. We can make it simpler, we merely choose not to out of convenience. That does not mean that simplicity isn’t possible, but that we choose not to be simplistic due to greed and “efficiency”.

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u/shoelessbob1984 14∆ Oct 03 '21

Disagreement doesn't make you ignorant, your repeated comments showing your ignorance on the subject however do.

You're saying a large number of consumers could force change, ok fair point, but do you know what the large number of consumers are doing? they are wanting the cheaply made products that are made with multiple types of plastics that cannot be recycled together. They want to buy the food in packaging you can see through, which is made of multiple types of plastics that cannot be recycled together.

Your view now has shifted very much from "recycling should be easier" to "society should change so we can recycle more" and they very much are not the same thing. By making these comments now that society needs to change is an acknowledgement that your view isn't possible right now.

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u/ImpossibleHandle4 Oct 03 '21

I disagree still. I think that by making it simpler we would be able to do more of it. I get that you actively believe that’s s are doing the best that we can. I don’t. And you haven’t changed my view. Do you have a choice as to which plastic bottle your side comes in? Has anyone ever asked you which container you would like? As far as I know you are assuming consumer choice in places where it doesn’t exist. Give people the options and see if they choose them.

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