One
* exists
* is proven to work
* solves an actual problem
* prevents the waste of resources and keeps the environment slightly cleaner with minimal effort
The other
* fictional spectacle for shareholders
* works only once for a show
* useless and pointless
* unnecessarily wastes ressources
Well, at least in Germany (where this was change was piloted) we do have a working system for reuse and recycling of plastic bottles.
96% of recycling bottles get properly returned and don't end up getting littered, keeping the streets, nature, rivers and oceans clean.
98% of these (so, about 93% of recycling plastic bottles total) get actually recycled and don't end up in landfills.
48% of new plastic bottles in Germany are actually made of old plastic bottles gathered in Germany.
Total breakdown, where the gathered bottles that get recycled end up (so, 93% of bottles in Germany!):
* 47.8% melted down into new bottles
* 22.9% packaging foils and packaging forms
* 10.5% fibres, e.g. for canvas
* 18.7% "other" recycling. Mostly non-food bottles and industrial applications.
I can't speak for all EU countries. But France and Belgium have similar statistics.
So, yes, plastic bottle recycling allready worked in (some? most of?) the effected countries. It's definitely not an unviable scam for landfills.
There might be countries that don't have working recycling systems. But there are national systems that are proven to work.
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u/Anaeijon 4h ago
One * exists * is proven to work * solves an actual problem * prevents the waste of resources and keeps the environment slightly cleaner with minimal effort
The other * fictional spectacle for shareholders * works only once for a show * useless and pointless * unnecessarily wastes ressources