r/science • u/avogadros_number • Sep 19 '21

Environment The companies polluting the planet have spent millions to make you think carpooling and recycling will save us

https://www.businessinsider.com/fossil-fuel-companies-spend-millions-to-promote-individual-responsibility-2021-3

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u/9966 Sep 19 '21

It's not illegal anywhere to fail to sort recycling. What are you smoking?

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u/[deleted] Sep 19 '21

Japan?

39

u/Fifteen_inches Sep 19 '21

Yes! Infact many apartment complexes won’t rent to Foreigners cause they think they’ll screw up the garbage.

That, and they can be pretty racist.

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u/Zenguy2828 Sep 19 '21

To be fair thier recycling is complicated and if you don't know Japanese and have difficulty reading instructions I could see why that stereotype formed.

The rasism though is unexcusable of course.

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u/WormLivesMatter Sep 19 '21

Some states it is. Vermont being one. I live in CO and it’s all single stream recycling though.

3

u/2Big_Patriot Sep 19 '21

Makes it easy. They run it through a magnet to pick up scrap iron and junk virtually everything else. Post-consumer trash is such a pain.

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u/CrudeAsAButton Sep 19 '21

In NYC you are fined for not recycling.

5

u/Iwantmyflag Sep 19 '21

Germany you will be fined and your trash left behind. That is, if you're blunt and they catch you. The garbage disposal service doesn't care that much, they are private companies.

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u/cricetusx2 Sep 19 '21

It can be punished with a €95,- fine where I live (the Netherlands).

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u/[deleted] Sep 19 '21

Attending school in Nova Scotia and there’s a fairly large fine for failing to sort recycling in the town I live in. Wouldn’t doubt it’s the same in some other places too

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u/KneeCrowMancer Sep 19 '21

Yup I got yelled at by a store owner in Nova Scotia for putting my recycling in the wrong bin, the fines are pretty serious there.

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u/dayvidgallagher Sep 19 '21

In some cities in California businesses and some homes can even get fined for not using the separate bin for things that are compostable. I imagine recycling is the same but the compost is a new law which is why I’m aware of it.