For increasing the stream of recyclable plastics from the
public, more creative ideas will be needed – below are just a
few recent trends and examples: Landfill-blocking: Especially
where landfill space is running low, governments are forbidding
the landfilling of recyclable waste. Such measures are being
debated and evaluated in the U.S. states of Vermont and North
Carolina, where a difficult-to-enforce law has already
reportedly increased the amount of plastic containers collected
for recycling. More “tit for tat”: Increasing the compensation
for collected material is being used to spur recycling. For
example, this month California increased the rates payable for
loads of collected plastic containers, aiding the economics of
redemption centers. Such a change also supports operators of
reverse vending machines, which are being used in more places
worldwide, including Thailand, for making direct payments to
people who collect and insert recyclables (also in the U.S.,
where PepsiCo Inc.’s “Dream Machines” offe