UNTIL PROVEN RECYCLED

We have all seen the 'recycled' symbol, three arrow lines. This symbol is used to identify what is and what isn't recycled, though many products use it almost as a ploy to appear ethical when a minuscule amount of the product is actually recycled.

Some call it false advertising; we will call it a form of greenwashing. The result of this seemingly innocent play on ethics causes a butterfly effect of catastrophes to result, for example, countless tons of non-recyclable garbage is thrown in the recycling bin each year, choking the recycling system, when this happens the process of recycling can become rendered useless.

California State Senator Ben Allen stated, “It’s a basic truth-in-advertising concept, we have a lot of people who are dutifully putting materials into the recycling bins that have the recycling symbols on them, thinking that they’re going to be recycled, but actually, they’re heading straight to the landfill."

This is a form of deception when you are avidly trying to put your best foot forward and use seemingly recycled products and recycling properly (as you should, well done!) that is then being thrown back in your face by the same people who initiated a large amount of the climate problem. It gets even more worrisome when you see the figure that less than 10 percent of plastic consumed in the United States is recycled (according to the most recent estimates by the Environmental Protection Agency). Luckily enough, this blunder has been spotted.

So far, the bill has won the backing of a coalition of environmental groups, local governments, waste haulers, and recyclers. Recycling companies say the move will help them cut down on the non-recyclable produce thrown in recycling bins that need to be transported, sorted, and sent to the landfill, making their jobs much less time-consuming too.

As it will be considered a Bill, the implementation of this will make fraudulent recycling signs illegal. The bill is also said to cover all consumer goods and packaging sold in the state, excluding some products that are already covered by existing laws e.g., beverage containers and certain kinds of batteries.

This is certainly a great step in the right direction, the consumer should always know what they are buying and the impact that product has. It is time that advertisements carry accurate information about what makes up the product and produce.

Thanks for reading!