91% of plastic isn't recycled (2018)
The Plastic recycling process as a whole is an incredibly succesful cost externalization for the petro-chemical and packaging industries.<p>Governments and consumers need to get serious with these lobbies:<p>- Ban ALL single-use plastic (except for medical supplies).<p>- Heavily tax plastic packaging<p>- Tax breaks for glass and paper packaging<p>- Force plastic return deposit schemes at supermarkets _payed for by manufacturers_<p>- Define industry quotas for how much 'new' plastic is allowed to be made from crude and make companies bid for it in a "new plastic" market, this would enable buy in from petro-chemical businesses whose profit currently depends on volume.<p>Yes, product prices will increase but the reality is that the price is already there but is just currently hidden behind the recycling PR machine.<p>None of this requires ocean micro plastic cleaning tech, or plastic separating computer vision, it is purely political it is purely stopping this protectionism. It can change right now if people are outraged enough.