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Justavian t1_jdxpbym wrote

This just seems like theater. Is this really solving any problems? Companies have put the responsibility on the consumer since the beginning, and all we're getting now is a token change that will do next to nothing.

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Some-Juggernaut-2610 t1_jdz9as9 wrote

Was unrecycled bottle caps even an issue to begin with?

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wedontlikespaces t1_jdzjrg7 wrote

Yes. It used to be that the bottle caps were of a different type of plastic and so couldn't be recycled together, at least not easily. And people learnt that, so they used to remove the bottle caps.

But they've gone over to using the same type of plastic in the caps as they do in the bottles, so they can all be recycled together, but getting that new idea through to people is a bit difficult, so it's easier to just tie the bottle cap to the bottle to reinforce the idea that they should now stay together.

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Riegler77 t1_je0lnqr wrote

In what way could companies take the responsibility themselves?

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Justavian t1_je15kve wrote

Establish recycling centers at their own expense where they pay the consumer (or municipalities as a whole) to bring their plastic bottles back. If they pay something - even a cent per bottle, there would be a huge incentive to collect bottles and return them, as they are produced in such huge numbers.

As it is right now, companies justify the massive amounts of plastic they produce by saying "Hey, it can all be recycled! We're basically making no waste at all." Understanding all the way that certain types of plastics cannot easily be recycled - maybe your city recycles that kind and maybe not.

The idea is to make companies pay for the clean up of their products one way or another, particularly when they produce single use items.

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