How to spur innovation in recycling
USA: At the SPC's annual spring meeting last month, it was evident that the discussion of sustainable packaging has expanded its focus to the post-consumer side of the supply chain. The first day of the meeting focused on end-of-life issues, reflecting the coalition's evolution from an emphasis on packaging design toward a greater recognition that the current US recycling system and lack of sorting technology is a barrier to the effective recovery of many types of packaging materials and to developing more sustainable packaging systems.
One message was clear from the discussions on recovery: There is little incentive to invest in collecting and processing new materials unless there are existing end markets for those materials. Many pointed out that this situation presents a significant roadblock to new material introductions and may stifle material innovation.
A fiscally responsible recycling business isn't going to invest in new technologies if there is not a reasonable opportunity of recouping its investment and making a profit. In contrast, in most communities, we use tax dollars to pay for the management of packaging waste with no expectation of a return on the investment of these dollars beyond the service received. Local governments are providers of these services, and taxpayers resent having to pay for them, especially as costs rise. The incentive for local government is to keep the cost for these services as low as possible.
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