FAST COMPANY • July 14, 2021
When China stopped importing some recyclables in 2018 because countries like the U.S. were sending a deluge of low-value, contaminated plastic and other waste, some communities stopped accepting certain materials. Others, like Kennebunkport, Maine, decided to temporarily shut down all curbside recycling. The changes made it more obvious that the recycling system is broken. But new policy in Maine may help. A new law requires brands to pay fees for the packaging they create, with the money going to local communities to pay for recycling. If materials in a package are easier to recycle, companies pay less, so there’s an incentive to redesign packaging. Reusable packaging can avoid fees.