Read Now Environmental Markets: A Property Rights Approach (Cambridge Studies in Economics, Choice, and Society) MOBI
"David McRobert is one of those people and I trust readers will enjoy this book and use its information as a cudgel to beat back the interests of multinationals and move us toward a more locally-oriented future, where recycling and deposit-refund systems are used judiciously for appropriate material streams, and in which true extended producer responsibility is implemented as the 'correct answer' to the 'right question'."From the Introduction by Guy Crittenden,Founding Editor, Solid Waste & Recycling MagazineTHE CORE IDEAS IN THIS BOOK are based on a brief originally prepared in 1991 which examined the role of deposit-refund systems in promoting waste reduction and re-use. Drawing on the example of container reuse, the brief shows that deposit-return systems are an extremely effective way to encourage consumers to recycle and reuse beverage containers, and that the system could very effectively be adapted to other waste products such as batteries, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) or paint cans, which should be kept out of landfills.Where deposit-refund systems are employed with depots and well promoted, container redemption rates can reach up to 98 per cent. Deposits also have a proven track record on reducing litter, and they are supported by naturalists, cottagers, and others who dislike seeing litter in rural or wilderness areas. However, retailers of beverages in some developed nations dislike deposit/refund systems because they can create more handling work for employees and the cans and bottles have been viewed as "unsightly".Despite these concerns, the environmental benefits of deposit-refund systems include: less pollution; sending less solid waste to landfills; less contaminated recyclables; and reductions in energy (and labour costs) to operate trucks to pick up and process recyclables. But there are other benefits. Reusable products, as opposed to disposable ones, are also cheaper for the average consumer over the long term, saving on the time and effort of constantly replacing disposable items. Deposit-refund systems and refillable containers also are based on the concept of product stewardship, and the argument that consumers and producers should take greater responsibility for the used materials they generate.
