why cant we do like other countries and get paid for our recycling ?

Question

it woud give incentive to many more people to do this ....

no im from the Uk .

Answer 1

This has puzzled me for some time; why indeed do we not get paid to recycle?

When I was a child growing up in London in the postwar years, 1940s-1950s, we recycled almost everything and got paid for it. The Rag 'n' Bone man would visit our street on a regular basis with his non-polluting horse and cart and buy things to be recycled from us.

I blame the fact that we cannot make a few pennies from recycling entirely on the EU, who some years back put down legislation which made it impossible for people such as the Rag 'n' Bone man [Steptoe and Son] to exist. Everything now has to be done through the Council, who take all the profit for themselves.

The worst outcome of what has happened, is that nearly everything we recycle ends up in a monster heap somewhere in China. There was a documentary about this on TV a while back, something along the lines of, "What Happens to Our Recycled Rubbish"?

Answer 2

I recycle because I believe it's the right thing to do, I don't need financial incentives but I certainly wouldn't say "NO" to any payment! Why should the Councils be the only ones to make money out of our recycled items? It's nowt to do with caring about the environment, the Councils and the Government just want more and more money out of us, so we'll never get paid for doing what's good for the environment.

Answer 3

I know that as a kid I used to take all of my recyclables (and the neighbors') to a recycling station where I got paid by the pound for paper, aluminum, and well I think that was it, but I got paid although it wasn't a premium price. That was in the Seattle area. Now, we have roadside collection of these items and Waste Management is picking them up. I know you can recycle metals for money, but I don't know about paper/any other recyclables now. Waste Management is providing the service of collecting these items from people's houses/apartments and that costs money in itself. I don't think it's a bad thing, as more recycling is happening (I couldn't collect all of Seattle's recyclables), even though we're not getting paid for it.

One "incentive" here is that if the garbage man sees too much recyclable material in your bin, they can leave it and not pick up the trash and you'll find a note explaining it instead. I like that (although I would like to get cash, but these are the times we live in...).

Answer 4

By the question I assume you're American. I didn't know other countries did this. The States that have required deposits on plastic bottles haven't seen much response from the public. In the past, there's been some success with aluminum cans. It's arguable that the success may be due more to the across the board increase in the price of all metals than to government efforts. Based on that, it would seem likely that finding more uses for the plastic bottles and other recycleables would make them more valuable, and increase recycling.

Answer 5

I'm from the states in Michigan and we have a 10cent deposit on beer and pop bottles plastic glass or cans . It works out really great you never see any bottles laying around like on the curbs because there worth picking up . We have machines at the local grocery stores that take them just put them in the slot one at a time and it telly's the total amount and gives you a receipt then you can buy food with it or turn it in for cash . It would be great if they would charge a deposit on all bottles like water bottles wine bottles even jars any kind of container . Ive made over $75 dollars going to the parks at the end of the day with in an hour picking up bottles . Cant beat 75 bucks an hour wish every day was that way and it probably would if they had a deposit on water bottles

Answer 6

I'll probably be unpopular with my answer but I think its our duty to recycle and so we shouldn't be paid. Where money is involved, corruption and violation follows - it would not work. Besides, I really don't see what the extra effort involved is when one recycles - instead of putting it in your normal bin - you put it in another! It's not like you are going out of your way. If you live in an area where your authority do not pick up your recycling then maybe then you should be paid for dropping off your recycling in a centre.

Answer 7

I live in California and if you take your bottles and cans in you will get money for them. There are machines in most of the neighborhoods that you dump your recyclables in and when you are done your money comes out.
It is really up to the state or county you live in. Some states and counties don't have the money to pay for your recycling. In addition, the counties have to pay a recycling company to take away and process the stuff.

Answer 8

You can only get money for recycling in some states, but it is simply returning the deposit you paid when you bought it. for example, in california you buy a bottle of soda for about 99 cents + 5 or 10 cents crv (california refund value). you are simply getting your money back. i dont really think its worth it but i still recycle because its the right thing to do.

Answer 9

Since you live in th UK, in a way you do get paid for re-cyling .
Your local council can be fined a great deal of money if they do not meet re-cyling targets set by guess who ?(The EU). Those fines would be paid from the money you pay in rates

Answer 10

Because our government is distinctly selfish and visionless. That's the same reason why we don't have socialized medicine.

Get this: in France, one parent can get paid to stay home and raise their children. God, I wish they'd do that here, because what's more important than raising your children well? I'm going to do it anyway, but it would be really nice to have a little extra money to help pay the bills.