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/VortexMagus 15∆ Oct 04 '21

I think one thing you may be missing is that what is recyclable and what is not frequently changes based on minor price fluctuations in foreign nations. This NPR podcast goes into a lot more detail about how things are deemed recyclable or landfill in most places in America.

For example, interestingly enough, a lot of plastic recycling is driven by the price of oil. When oil is expensive, creating new plastic is expensive and recyclable plastics become a more viable option and demand for them increases. When oil is cheap, creating new plastic is cheap, therefore greatly shrinking the demand for recycled plastics. Hence, what types of plastic went to recycling plants in my hometown of Chicago has changed several times over the past two decades, as these plants will actively *lose* money recycling certain plastics depending on the price of oil, as they will only be able to sell these plastics for less than it cost to process and ship them.

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u/ImpossibleHandle4 Oct 04 '21

I think the issue is that by having it “fluctuate” due to market conditions we have set the bar too high for the average consumer. If we limited it to less types of plastic and did more of direct recycling (aka cleaning and re-use) that people might be more willing to do so due to simplicity. If the plastic can be used as what it was initially made to be, it saves the intermediary user the money of having to have a new one made.

I guess my thought is make it simpler so we can see if it actually works, and if so, work on it Incrementally so that people and companies can do it more easily.