Should Plastic Producers Pay for Recycling?
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0:03 - 0:05We're in a plastic crisis.
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0:05 - 0:08But who's responsible for this mess?
And how can we turn it around? -
0:08 - 0:09Let me toss a few facts at you.
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0:09 - 0:13More than half the plastic ever produced
was created in the last decade. -
0:13 - 0:17And only about 9% of the plastic ever made
has been recycled. -
0:17 - 0:19But before you go blaming
your lazy neighbor -
0:19 - 0:20for that dismal recycling rate,
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0:20 - 0:22maybe we should take a step back
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0:22 - 0:24and see how we got here
in the first place. -
0:24 - 0:25And to answer that question.
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0:25 - 0:29We've got to go way way back
to where the plastic begin. -
0:29 - 0:31No, no, no... not that far back.
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0:31 - 0:32Right, that's good.
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0:32 - 0:34These are fracking wells,
-
0:34 - 0:36which is where a lot
of the plastic (bleep) -
0:36 - 0:38you see lying around
in the environment starts. -
0:38 - 0:39Over the last decade,
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0:39 - 0:42governments handed out
billions of dollars in tax subsidies -
0:42 - 0:44and gutted environmental rules
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0:44 - 0:47to encourage oil
and natural gas development. -
0:47 - 0:49That created a lot
of new cheap oil and gas -
0:49 - 0:53that companies like Dow and Exxon
also turned into plastic. -
0:53 - 0:57In other words, lots of cheap oil and gas
means lots of cheap plastic. -
0:57 - 1:01In fact, plastic is now the fastest
growing source of greenhouse gases -
1:01 - 1:03like CO2 and methane.
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1:03 - 1:04Huge consumer goods companies
-
1:04 - 1:07then turn all that cheap plastic
into packaging or products -
1:07 - 1:11that often get used just once
and then can't or won't get recycled. -
1:12 - 1:13And with no laws
-
1:13 - 1:16holding producers responsible
for the plastic waste they create, -
1:16 - 1:18guess who picks up the bill
for all that junk? -
1:18 - 1:21That's right, us. The taxpayers!
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1:21 - 1:23The companies who make
and use single-use plastics -
1:23 - 1:27want you to believe that recycling
will take care of all of it. -
1:27 - 1:29But it turns out it's often more expensive
to recycle something -
1:29 - 1:32than it is just to create new plastic.
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1:32 - 1:33Some cities and towns
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1:33 - 1:36are even considering ditching
their recycling programs altogether. -
1:36 - 1:38Take Maine, for example.
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1:38 - 1:40Mainers want to do the right thing,
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1:40 - 1:43but products continue to be packaged
in wasteful ways -
1:43 - 1:45and towns are struggling
with what to do with them -
1:45 - 1:47when they get to the dump.
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1:47 - 1:49You see, when the people
who create plastic packaging -
1:49 - 1:53aren't responsible for managing and paying
for their waste, bad things happen. -
1:53 - 1:55Like really bad things.
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1:55 - 1:59That's why many are starting to rethink
packaging and the way waste is handled. -
1:59 - 2:00One way to do that
-
2:00 - 2:03is through a system called
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). -
2:03 - 2:06You might also call it polluter pays
or 'a great idea'. -
2:06 - 2:09EPR for packaging
puts companies on the hook -
2:09 - 2:12by making them accountable
for the stuff they put on our shelves. -
2:12 - 2:15Like paying more
for non-recyclable materials. -
2:15 - 2:19While the US doesn't require manufacturers
to help manage their packaging waste, -
2:19 - 2:20many other places do,
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2:20 - 2:24including several Canadian provinces
and all countries in the EU. -
2:24 - 2:26Some of these laws
have been in place for 30 years -
2:26 - 2:30and many of these places now see
recycling rates of up to 80%. -
2:30 - 2:31And, better yet,
-
2:31 - 2:34when the companies become responsible
for their waste, the real magic happens. -
2:34 - 2:37They realize that it's actually cheaper
to reduce their packaging -
2:37 - 2:39than to pay to clean it up.
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2:39 - 2:42That's the beauty of extending
the responsibility to the real polluters. -
2:42 - 2:45It can help reduce plastic waste
on the front end, -
2:45 - 2:47improve recycling by creating
a cleaner waste stream, -
2:47 - 2:48and, oh yeah,
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2:48 - 2:50tackle this thing called
climate change too. -
2:50 - 2:53Coupled with other ways
to reduce unnecessary plastics, -
2:53 - 2:55like bag and foam bans,
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2:55 - 2:58performing recycling
through EPR for packaging -
2:58 - 2:59is what the world needs.
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2:59 - 3:02What's your take on EPR?
Tell us in the comments below. -
3:02 - 3:03Thanks for watching.
-
3:03 - 3:06If you like this video,
please like and subscribe.
- Title:
- Should Plastic Producers Pay for Recycling?
- Description:
-
Why are taxpayers responsible for recycling costs if we didn’t make this mess in the first place?
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- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- Amplifying Voices
- Project:
- Environment and Climate Change
- Duration:
- 03:11
Jenny Lam edited English subtitles for Should Plastic Producers Pay for Recycling? | ||
Dean edited English subtitles for Should Plastic Producers Pay for Recycling? | ||
Dean edited English subtitles for Should Plastic Producers Pay for Recycling? | ||
Dean edited English subtitles for Should Plastic Producers Pay for Recycling? | ||
Dean edited English subtitles for Should Plastic Producers Pay for Recycling? |