. “We weren’t sure if we could have such a huge impact without thinking about developing new materials or entirely new systems.”
People seem to feel reassured that it is fine to buy drinks in plastic bottles that will be recycled, though, and they continue to purchase single-use plastics. So there’s little evidence that the intervention actually cuts Germany’s consumption of single-use plastics.
Then again, Antigua and Barbuda’s 2016 ban on selling or using plastic shopping bags points to a 15% decrease in the amount of plastic discarded in landfill in its first year. Why did it work?enforcement — a $1100 fine and up to 6 months in prison
Maybe but that’s not the problem. The problem is governments, refusing to do anything governments don’t act unless the people pressure them, or the power, brokers and corporations to it. The only other possibility is putting profit as a motive for cleaning up plastic waste.