Plastic Bottles

How is China much like pre-20th century U. S How is China much like pre-20th century U.S. with what happens to consumer waste? China, pre-20th c. U.S. Waste collected down the line Collect/sell scrap Reuse 1960s U.S. waste concerns Landfills Pollutions Resource use ¤

‘One-Ways’ (DQ 1, Part I) History of two-ways and one-ways PET soda bottles Convenient, portable, disposable WWII influence US interstate system Central distributor Cheap plastic for industry ¤ http://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/how-plastic-pollution-is-killing-animals-on-midway-atoll/ http://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/

Plastic Goes to China (DQ 1, Part I) Cheap shipping Empty pods to China (esp. from W. Coast) Plastic-based exports China reuses plastic waste; U.S. some reuse Other plastics- reuse waste ↓ fuel use Cheaper labor Not feasible in U.S. ¤

Plastics Industry & the Bottle Bill (DQ 2) Only support when under pressure Objective: Make, sell virgin plastics Top players: U.S. oil, chemical companies Stable oil prices = no incentive for recycling Want in good w/ bottlers Fragmented group V. aluminum, steel, paper Shift burden to producers from consumers Germany ex. ¤

GN v. GS Waste Issues (DQ 3) GN- Good at collection Tax base Bad a sorting Need incentives for consumer waste reduction Extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme Tax citizens GS- Good at sorting Incentives to collect trash Collection v. healthcare costs See immediate benefit Can reuse products Biggest problem=open landfills ¤

GS & Plastic Waste (DQ 4) Collection challenges Export less feasible Fewer imports Shipping less efficient= ↑ costs Reuse, repurpose when possible ↓ expensive ¤

Recap Development= ↑ waste Cater to convenience Infrastructure in place in GN for waste collection, processing GS lacks waste collection infrastructure China has demand for recycled materials Reuse of waste based on economic incentives For GN, need to shift burden to producers ¤