Well, that’s it – UK plastics has to achieve the impossible
By Anthony Clark Posted 29 November 2012
Despite the best efforts of the BPF and Pafa the government has pressed ahead and set ‘impossible’ recycling targets for plastics.
Government recycling policy being discussed.
|
|
What next, I wonder? Perhaps the coalition would like to mandate the creation of a perpetual motion machine and antigravity paint, too, while it’s about it? After all, it seems to believe that just because something’s impossible that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
At a time when recycling should be becoming a non-issue – it’s already happening after all – it’s back on the top of the plastics agenda… for all the wrong reasons. What should be seen as a success story has been converted into an imminent failure by a government that simply doesn’t get the facts.
But just you watch – UK plastics will be criticised for not meeting the new recycling targets; labelled tardy and uncooperative and all because it couldn’t do what it said it couldn’t do because it’s currently impossible.
It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland.
"There's no use trying," Alice said; "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
The government appears to be in the same state of mind.
Comments:
[ Back ]
Send us your thoughts on this blog
|
E-mail this article
Print this page
Comment on this article
Here in Austria we have a ban of landfill since 2004(2008) hence meanwhile recover/recycle 98% of waste (not only plastics) hence set benchmark in plastics recycling technology every other day (Erema, Starlinger....), supply it worldwide with great success and can show everybody, how it became possible over the years. Of course this means investment into collection systems, recycling machinery, development in application of such recyclates etc.
Governments have the duty to create positive conditions and grant subsidies for the respective industry and make everybody aware, that even waste remains an enourmous value, when treated logically and sensefully (which additionally creates new jobs). Waste is by far too valuable to be landfilled - and there is a good number of UK enterprises (recyclers like Axion, Luxury...) knowing that quite well.
As I was a youngster, my first technical education experiance was: "Doesn`t work...doesn`t exist" - you just have to investigate/develop the best and clever way to realise......
- 17 December 2012 - Leopold Katzmayer
- 29 November 2012 - Patrick Ellis