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https://theconversation.com/a-tax-on-new-plastic-would-slash-waste-if-built-into-the-global-treaty-on-plastics-244517>
"Earlier this week, the mining magnate Andrew Forrest made headlines calling
for a global “polymer premium” – or plastic tax – to be placed on every tonne
of newly manufactured plastics. A tax like this could form part of the
Global
Plastic Treaty being hammered out right now in Busan, South Korea. In fact, a
treaty aimed at stopping plastic waste will have to have strong measures such
as a plastic tax or a cap on plastic production to shift the status quo.
In economics, taxing things you don’t want should mean fewer get made. What
Forrest is pitching is a way to curb the seemingly unstoppable rise in plastic
production and tackle the plastic waste crisis at its source. While we may
think recycling is all we need to solve the plastic waste problem, it’s nowhere
near enough. Plastic is steadily choking seas and rivers, while toxic
microplastics damage our health.
Forrest isn’t the first. Environmental groups and think tanks are also calling
for a global tax on plastic producers and importers.
Many plastic products are designed to last for a long time. But manufacturers
are increasingly churning out cheap plastics such as single-use items and food
packaging which almost inevitably become waste.
Introducing a tax would add an additional cost to making virgin (new) plastic,
to deter manufacturers from producing and selling as much non-recyclable and
non-reuseable products as possible. If introduced, they would go some way to
cut the overproduction of plastic."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
