CITIES, TOWNS, AND TAXPAYERS SHOULDN'T BEAR THE BURDEN OF THE PLASTIC PROBLEM.

• Author: Synoracki, Olivia
• Position: PART TWO: HOLDING POLLUTERS ACCOUNTABLE

Plastic has been woven into our everyday lives since the 1950s, when it was introduced during the post-World War II reconstruction boom as a cheap alternative to steel, paper, glass, and wood. Its adaptability and accessibility led to its mass production, normalizing the overconsumption of expendable items and spawning today's throw-away culture.

An estimated 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced over the last 70 years--79 percent of which has ended up in a landfill or, even worse, been scattered as litter along roadsides, on beaches, and in the ocean, where it persists for centuries.

In recent years, these disposable habits have come under scrutiny as concerns about plastic pollution have spiked. Plastic manufacturers and distributors argue that consumers bear the blame for the accelerating plastic crisis. By pointing fingers at consumer recycling habits, or lack thereof, plastic producers have successfully distracted the public from the real issues with plastic--and the real solutions.

The reality is, says John Hite, CLF's Zero Waste Policy Analyst, "our country's recycling system is broken. Much of the waste placed in recycling bins isn't actually recyclable. Sadly, it's taken a crisis for people to realize this."

That crisis was triggered when China enacted its "National Sword" policy in February 2018. Up until then, domestic waste management companies had been shipping much of what was picked up from consumer recycling bins to China. While Americans were feeling good about all the plastic they were recycling, China was just burying or burning much of it on the other side of the world.

Then, the so-called China Sword came down. The country banned waste imports and set strict standards for the plastic it would accept. Suddenly, all of that "recyclable" plastic from America had nowhere to go. What's more, because China was paying to take all those recyclables, it had provided U.S. cities and towns a revenue stream, which more than covered the cost of recycling programs. "Without Chinese companies importing our trash," says Hite, "the costs for dealing with it are falling back on communities in the U.S."

In the nearly two years since China changed its policy, states, cities, and towns across the U.S. have tried to stem the plastic tide by passing a flurry of laws and regulations banning single-use plastics. But those laws will only take us so far. "Cities and towns--and, by extension, taxpayers--should not have to bear the...