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Increasing plastic recycling

August 15, 2024 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Recycling plastic is a complicated matter. There are many different types of plastic and knowing which things are made of which type isn’t easy. There are increasingly widespread recycling systems across the U.S., but the actual rates of recycling have been described as “abysmal”.

The plastic commonly used in beverage bottles is polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. The present nationwide rate of recycling PET is about 24% and has been about at that level for a decade.

A new study by MIT has found that with a nationwide bottle deposit program, the rates could increase to 82%. At that level, nearly two-thirds of all PET bottles could be recycled into new bottles at a net cost of just a penny a bottle.

The study looked at PET bottle collection and recycling rates in different states as well as other nations with and without bottle deposit policies, and with and without curbside recycling programs. The study is the first to look in detail at the interplay between public policies and the detailed end-to-end aspects of the packaging, production and recycling market.

Recycling of PET is highly successful in terms of quality. New products made from all-recycled material is virtually indistinguishable from virgin material. The crucial bottleneck is the collection of sufficient amounts of material to meet the needs of processing plants. So, the conclusion of the study is that with the right policies in place, significant improvements can be made. Several European countries manage to collect more than 90% of PET bottles for recycling. So, it can be done.

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How to increase the rate of plastics recycling

Photo, posted August 10, 2013, courtesy of Lisa Risager via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Pacific Bluefin Tuna On The Rebound | Earth Wise

September 21, 2022 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The Pacific Bluefin Tuna is a commercially valuable species that is especially prized in Japan. The fish is particularly valued for sashimi and sushi and large specimens have been known to fetch enormous prices at seafood auctions.

Aggressive fishing reduced the bluefin biomass through the late 1990s and 2000s to only a few percent of its potential unfished levels. Beginning in 2011, The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission began management measures that reduced the catch of smaller bluefin as well as limited the catch of larger bluefin. The goal was to allow more fish to grow to maturity. The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission adopted similar resolutions a year later. Despite these efforts, increasing concern about declining bluefin levels led to a petition to list the species as endangered. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries organization determined that while the population was near historical lows, the remaining 1.6 million fish was a sufficient number to avoid the risk of extinction and that the measures in place were sufficient.

A new assessment of the bluefin population has shown that the species is now increasing and includes many younger fish that will help accelerate its rebound. The assessment by NOAA showed that the bluefin stock was greater than the first rebuilding target set for 2019.

According to the NOAA Fisheries biologists that performed the assessment, the species has responded exactly as predicted given the actions that were taken. The bluefin tuna is an amazingly resilient fish and it is continuing to demonstrate that fact.

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International Actions Pay Off For Pacific Bluefin Tuna as Species Rebounds at Accelerating Rate

Photo, posted June 1, 2022, courtesy of Philippe Yuan via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Natural Climate Solutions Are Not Enough

April 1, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

A new policy perspective published in Science by researchers at seven prestigious institutions looked at the role of natural science solutions in stabilizing the Earth’s climate for people and ecosystems. While they asserted that it is imperative to ramp up natural climate solutions, they also concluded that natural solutions alone will not be sufficient.

Natural science solutions include such things as enhancing carbon sinks from forests, agriculture and other lands. Doing these things are very beneficial in their own right as they lead to improved forests, croplands, grazing lands, and wetlands.

However, these things will not be enough to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and must be combined with rapid efforts to decrease emissions from the energy and industrial sectors. Among their various findings, the researchers warn that a ten-year delay in emissions reductions from these sectors could completely negate any potential benefits of natural climate solutions.

As has become increasingly clear, there is not an either-or situation with regard to the actions that need to be taken with respect to climate change.

Maximizing natural climate solutions and reducing emissions from the energy and industrial sectors will provide broad benefits beyond climate change mitigation. Doing these things will improve forests and habitats, reduce the risk of wildfires, and decrease air and water pollution thereby improving human health and well-being.

Of course, to reduce cumulative emissions and put a cap on the warming of the planet, there will need to be policy mechanisms and incentives in place that support both natural climate solutions and increasing mitigation efforts across the energy and industrial sectors.

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Natural Climate Solutions Are Not Enough

Photo, posted February 11, 2012, courtesy of Joao Andre O. Dias via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.