The solution is to provide specific containers or bins for single use PPE in car parks and outside essential shops where people generally remove their face masks. Special measures must be taken to ensure the containers are touch free, clean and emptied regularly. The containers can be used to advertise the importance of mask wearing and correct disposal. Graphics can be generated on social media showing the life cycle of a mask, and showing the benefits of re-using and re-purposing. Also, messaging and images can show the consequences of single use masks ending up in the oceans.
One day soon, the pandemic will be over and things will return to normal. The country’s love for single use plastic is not going away. It is cheap to make, move and use – it is time to accept that and focus on re-using and re-purposing. Encourage or mandate suppliers to manufacture sturdier, multiple use plastics.
Currently the public is encouraged to recycle properly but it is not enforced and the public messaging is not strong enough. Increasing education of the topic through social media platforms is the first step but this will not be enough to tackle this issue and ensure that the UK leads the way in it’s green agenda.
A few years ago, the country introduced a radical policy to charge customers for single use plastic bags. The policy was forward thinking but met resistance, however on implementation public thinking and behaviour transformed overnight. The policy has lead to a massive reduction in single use plastic bags which means less go to landfill and less end up in the ocean.
Building on the success of this policy it is time to re-think recycling. It is time to invest in infrastructure that will ensure recycling is done properly and efficiently. Currently councils spend a lot of time and money separating, recycling and re-purposing waste. It is time to remove some of the burden from the council and give the public more responsibility. To do that there must be an incentive – similar to the plastic bag tax.
The proposed solution is to charge at the point of sale a 50p tax on every plastic bottle or container. This will also apply to glass bottles, containers and tins. The public will have the opportunity to ‘reclaim’ this tax at recycling points. These recycling points will be on most streets and in businesses and shopping centres across the country. At the recycling points will be state of the art machines. On inserting a plastic / glass container or tin into the machine, it will understand what it has received and send it to the appropriate container out of view from the public. The machine will crush the bottle / container to ensure space efficiency. On completion of delivering your items to the machine, it will calculate how many items you have returned and reimburse you the tax. This can be either in the form of a coupon or back to your bank account. Any unclaimed tax can form a pot that is to tackle specific recycling issues or other environmental incentives.
The tax should be significant enough so that most members of the public will participate. The benefits from this would ensure cleaner streets and less strain on councils whilst re-using and re-purposing the vast majority of what we consume. Councils will see a further benefit by seeing day to day running costs of collections and sorting drop.
It is appreciated that the original investment of this project will be high but the country must get serious about the amount we consume and waste. Money drives business and individuals. The effect of a 5p charge on a plastic bag was amazing, a similar effect for items to be recycled will yield fantastic results. After the initial high investment cost, the day-to-day running for councils will certainly drop. A larger proportion of sorting will be done at the point of recycling and the crushing of material will require less collections.
The UK intends to be a world leader in being green and carbon neutral. This is a good first step and whilst the scheme goes through approval processes let’s increase government and council messaging to recycle and re-use, highlighting the benefits to individuals, businesses and the environment.
This policy idea involves all members of the public and it is easy to understand and is a great way to get everyone involved in being responsible for the disposing, recycling and re-using the many items we consume every year. Correct messaging can lead to people being proud of the way they dispose, recycle and re-use. It will ensure that everyone starts to take responsibility in the UK agenda to be a world leader in everything green.
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