Prospects of Recycling — For 2020 and the years to come
As we draw near to the millennium’s third decade, one of the most disturbing concerns of our time is the world waste production- obviously because of the rise in capitalism and consumerism. This predicament is not going away and in fact, is exacerbating each year.
The recycling business still looks more 19th century than 21st century and even though a few changes are being made, there is still much more that needs to be done.
How will recycling evolve at this point in the 21st century and what lies ahead? Below are some major factors that will dictate the future of America’s recycling industry, extracted from our 2020 State of Recycling Report.
Consumers have the right to make changes
Manufacturers must stop relying on petroleum-based raw materials and employ more sustainable options to ensure positive change in prospective recycling and extension of product life. Petroleum extracted plastics are the chief culprits in terms of waste-based effluence.as they are entirely unrecyclable and seeing it takes a lot of years to decompose.
Consumers need to be the push when instigating extensive change in both the types of raw materials we select and the mannerisms of use. A perfect illustration of how consumers can influence the choice of material used by the manufacturer is the current drift from disposable water cans and the new Right to Repair idea that is making waves across different countries.
In the next ten years, customers will demand more visible product labeling, substitute solutions to packaging, easy and cheaper maintenance costs on equipment and devices and an extensive shift from plastics among manufacturing industries, as sustainability education becomes integrated into the society.
An accurate circular economy.
The notion of a round economy has gained some popularity and little steps to make it work are currently being taken. Recycling prospects are fixed for a flow in circular products when manufacturers and recycling stakeholders collaborate and reach a particular amount. Once this is achieved, circular products will be the standard, with a total closed-loop recycling system that insists that recyclables used within products are of commensurate value to the original product. See three advanced schemes changing our recycling culture.
In addition, with the contribution of both past and current knowledge, recycling hubs will be more capable of easily sorting and separating objects. A literate community, that can effectively distinguish items, will assist in recycling waste effluences and afford more chances for recycling.
Re-estimation of value
Waste is what it is because we do not attach value to it. When examining the prospects of recycling, evaluation of the value of products at all phases of the sequence- from production to consumption to disposal- is critical to guaranteeing that we take a record of our carefree use of non-renewable resources. One attempt to guarantee this happens is the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and over the next ten years, its influence will spread and grow the recycling industry in different ways.
One component of EPR will summarize all the ecological cost implications of a product; although it has been present in a way since the ’90s, the future of recycling will rapidly depend on this fresh approach in the way we value waste. Demanufacturing will become vital to this process, basically ensuring that products, materials, and resources stay circulated for a progressively longer period of time by guaranteeing that they can be disintegrated or recycled at the close of the chain.
Through vigorous EPR laws from government and sustained consumer pressure, the prices of products in the future will include a tax or value on possible environmental effects. This will motivate producers to use more sustainable products, manage effective reuse and repair programs and guarantee faster, efficient and cost-effective recycling.
Technology and transparency are a package deal
Current technologies are fast spreading across the recycling industry. Tracking technologies such as Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) and others provide increased transparency during production and eventual disposal, making the entire lifespan of products to be monitored and documented. In the next ten years, recycling outfits will prescribe that a growing number of products take part in these programs, allowing thorough metrics to be recognized in various data locations.
Developments in technologies associated with the prospects of recycling in material sensors that intend to bring increased effectiveness to services on both consumer and commercial platforms. Guaranteeing effluent streams are “clean” is one of the major problems facing efficient recycling, and the growth of machine-made material sensors will promote selection efficiencies in homes and recycling stations.
Finally — Reduced consumption, improved conservation
The future of recycling rests in reducing the number of diverse materials that are processed simultaneously and a steady increase in the purity of unprocessed materials produced by recycling. Regulation of materials among products is one component of this prospective idea, reinforced by conservation other than barely just consumption, efficiently giving new meaning and reducing what we call waste.
Over the next decade, other efficacies in handling and distribution will likely reduce costs and cause growth in the industry. Prompt collections in partnership with broad curbside collections all over the US will be greatly improved because of technology, linking all phases of the production chain through central applications and portals.
New York’s curbside recycling program, for instance, is among the most concise in the country, and as it endeavors to meet up its great goal of nil waste in 2030, there is persistent effort to boost the effectiveness in handling and distributing recyclables. Denver is also helping by educating its inhabitants through a variety of pilot routes intended to increase the types of things inhabitants can add to their recycling trucks. Ideas like this will guarantee the next ten years will offer improved emphasis on reducing waste.
Give Dimension a try today — we are a sustainability-first waste management company that is committed to recycle responsibly.