Vice Video
Key Facts:
- China stopped accepting certain plastic and paper waste and created a new rigorous sorting system of what the country is willing to take in
- The drastic policy changes are intended to reduce the country’s carbon footprint
- NEW TERM!! Trash Trade – Types: Single Stream Recycling facility
- NEW KEY CONCEPT!! Companies in the “Dirty Business” collects, sorts, and sells recyclable waste to companies who then turn them into other products (Before the China ban – $75 per (x) weight/amount
- China banned the import of 24 different types of paper and plastic-like reusable water rebottles
- They also changed the requirement of recyclables but they still accept “higher grade clean stuff”
- By April shipments were down by 36% – 27 states
- Are other countries able to take the influx? (Vietnam, India, Philippines, etc.) The answer is NO.
- These smaller countries don’t have the capacity and systems in place to successfully/correctly recycle and manage waste
- I think its the US’s fault for relying on other countries to do the ‘dirty work” for them. Instead of profiting off the trash trade, more US companies/the government should take initiative and create systems that can sustainably recycle excess waste. Now, the effects of selling trash to other countries are more relevant than ever and are having a drastic impact on the environment.
Reading Response
I thought the reading was quite enlightening! I’ve always considered myself as an avid sustainability kind-of-guy, but there were so many other facets of the recycling/trash business that I wasn’t aware of. The trash trade is a really interesting concept, I never really thought of the process that comes after putting “recyclables” in blue bins. I’m mostly disappointed in the US for not having systems in place to accommodate for their own proper waste/recycling management. The fact that we have to sell trash overseas to countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand still baffles me and now with China’s trash import bans/regulations, these smaller countries have to take the bulk/responsibility of managing excess waste. In a perfect world, new strategies in waste and recycling management will be made so that more than 9% of our plastic products are recycled and none end up in landfills. This article made me even more excited to take the “Remade in China” class because it allows creative ideas of waste management to be developed! WOOOHOOO!
“Bag It” Video Response
One of the most interesting and (horrifying) parts about the video is the use of chemicals in plastics that are harmful to humans/organisms in general. The two primary chemicals covered in the video were BPA and Phthalates and approved by the ACC (wtf). When humans are exposed to these chemicals for a prolonged period, they can cause adverse effects like infertility, obesity, diabetes, etc. Household products are greatly affected by the plastic containers they are in. After a tremendous public outcry, manufacturers are now legally bound to keep these products as free from these chemicals as possible. The documentary did a fantastic job of showing visual data in how these chemicals can affect the human body.
I was also introduced to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a swirling vortex of debris created from non-biodegradable material that’s floating in our ocean (this is terrifying). The fact that this isn’t a more relevant issue to solve still baffles me?! I’m hoping there’s a better way to manage cleanup, ideally, that’s something I can concentrate on during the production phase of our class. It’s a potential focus/problem that I can research and address.
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