Plastic Recycling seeing an Increase across Canada and Internationally
The plastic recycling movement is gaining momentum across Canada and internationally. Countries in the European Union have been debating long-term strategies to reduce plastic waste, while seeking new creative ways to reuse existing plastic materials. In Canada, municipalities from sea to sea are considering new methods of plastic recycling, including banning plastic bags.
Today, the many opportunities to recycle plastic ultimately boils down to strategies related to reusing and reducing. The less plastic out there in use and the more processes to reuse the plastic that has already been manufactured means a greener planet.
Throughout the years, plastic has been used to create and manufacture so many of the goods we use on a daily basis. Food wrappers, water bottles, takeout containers, grocery bags, and even components of our mobile devices and computers come from plastic. Plastic is everywhere in our lives and without it, the world to human beings would be virtually unrecognizable. For too long, plastic has been allowed to enter our landfills, and in this day and age, it’s no longer acceptable for it to continue being sanctioned as waste.
The latest developments across the world include Canada seeking to work with plastic manufacturers to make plastic items more easily recyclable, Canadian regions like Montreal and Saskatoon considering bans on plastic grocery bags altogether, countries like Norway having implemented deposit-based plastic bottle recycling that has increased plastic bottle recycling by 97 percent, and China who recently banned imported plastic waste.
The world is changing and there are a lot of impressive, innovate strategies being used to increase plastic recycling levels. Though much movement has been made, there is still more to be done. For example, plastic is categorized into seven unique codes, one of which is polyethylene terephthalate plastic. This type is used in the manufacturing of bottles and when recycled, a single 20-ounce container saves enough energy to power a light-bulb for almost ten hours.
PET plastic recycling is the most popular version of plastic recycling today and there’s a lot to be learned from how much energy is saved. There exists the potential for similar savings across other types of plastics and, if not, the opportunity for reuse and reduce is still there in other ways. Initiatives as simple as banning plastic bags from recycling bins go a long way in helping to create positive change in the world. It’s Canada and other countries that are leading the way.
Despite the environmental movement leading the way on plastic recycling, there have been opponents. The oil industry’s biggest players have been in favor of plastic, particularly in these times of low oil prices. As of late, it’s been more affordable to produce new plastic from materials such as petroleum. Truthfully, it remains to be seen how many more Canadian municipalities implement plastic-related bans. What’s evident from the most recent news is that things are moving in a positive direction regarding plastic recycling.
The future of plastic recycling comes down to the choices that individual regions of the world have to make. Right now the opportunity to save more of our natural resources, reduce the amount of plastic in landfills, increase energy efficiency, and even creating more jobs has been well established. As more studies are shared on the benefits of plastic recycling, and the impact that these processes have on the environment and the world, the future certainly looks to be in favor of a reuse-reduce approach to plastic.
