Confused about recycling? It’s not your fault - Shannon Odell

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: SF Huang

If you've ever looked at the bottom of a disposable bottle or cup,

如果你曾經去看過 一次性瓶子或杯子的底部，

you've probably noticed this symbol.

你可能會注意到這個符號。

Seeing this, many people assume the item they’re holding

許多人看到此符號就會 假設他們手上的物品

should be tossed in a recycling bin.

應該要丟入回收筒。

Yet many of these plastics are incapable of being recycled at most centers.

然而，大部分的回收中心 無法回收許多像這樣的塑料。

In fact, of the 360 million tons of plastic created worldwide each year,

事實上，每年全球 生產出 3.6 億噸的塑料，

only 9% is ever recycled.

只有 9% 被回收。

So why are so few plastics recycled?

為什麼回收的塑料這麼少？

And what do these codes actually mean?

這些代碼實際上又是什麼意思？

Our recycling problem is multi-layered, beginning at production.

我們的回收問題是多層次的 問題，從生產時就開始了。

About 18% of plastics are made from what is known as thermosetting polymers.

大約 18％ 的塑料是用 所謂的熱固性聚合物做成。

These plastics gain stability through curing,

這些塑料透過固化而變穩定，

a process that hardens a material by irreversibly crosslinking

固化過程會將材料的 分子鏈做不可逆的交聯，

its molecular chains.

來硬化材料。

The very properties that make thermoset plastics so useful,

熱固性塑料之所以這麼有用， 就是因為這個特性，

in that they keep their shape and integrity under extreme conditions,

讓它們在極端條件下 仍能保持其形狀和完整性，

mean that they can’t be broken down and rebuilt

也就是說，大部分的 回收廠都無法將它們

by the vast majority of recycling plants.

分解和重製。

Thankfully, most plastics are thermoplastics,

謝天謝地，大多數 塑料都是熱塑性塑料，

which can be melted and remolded.

可以被熔化和重塑成型。

But this category encompasses a variety of materials

但這個類別包含許多種材料，

with unique chemical structures, weights, and properties,

每種都有獨特的化學結構、 重量和特性，

all of which require different conditions for recycling.

通通都需要不同的回收條件。

As a result, only some of these thermoplastics

因此，大多數回收中心 只接受部分的熱塑性塑料。

are accepted at most recycling centers.

Which brings us to our next problem: the confusing code system.

這就會帶出我們的下一個問題：

讓人困惑的代碼系統。

Developed and introduced by the plastics industry in 1988,

塑料業於 1988 年 開發並推出這種代碼，

this code was presented as a way to help consumers and facilities

旨在幫助消費者和機構將垃圾分類。

sort their trash.

Each number indicates the material the plastic is made of,

數字代表塑料是由什麼材料做成，

known as its resin.

或說什麼樹脂。

Some resin numbers are recyclable at most centers,

有些樹脂編號是大部分 回收中心都可以處理的，

while others are not.

其他的則不是。

And yet, within this system,

然而，在這個系統中，

all numbers are surrounded by the universally recognized recycling symbol,

所有數字都用大眾普遍 認得的回收符號環繞，

misleading consumers into thinking that many unsalvageable plastics

誤導消費者以為 許多無法再利用的塑料

have a chance at a second life.

也有機會獲得第二次生命。

And just because a technically recyclable resin makes it to a recycling bin,

光是技術上可回收的樹脂 被丟進了回收筒，

doesn’t mean it will continue its journey.

並不表示它會繼續完成 它的回收旅程。

Plastics often contain multiple resins, are mixed with dyes and additives,

塑料通常含有多種樹脂， 且與染料及添加物混合在一起，

or are affixed with difficult-to-remove stickers and labels,

或被加上了難以除掉的貼紙和標籤，

all of which can cause them to be rerouted to the incinerator or trash bin.

這些都可能導致它們 被改送到焚化爐或垃圾桶。

In short, many companies don't design packaging with recovery in mind.

簡言之，許多公司在設計包裝時 並沒有考量到回收的問題。

Even under pristine conditions,

即使在最單純的條件下，

plastic resins can only be melted down and remolded a handful of times,

塑料樹脂被熔化和重塑的 次數也是有限的，

as their polymers degrade with each use.

因為每使用一次， 它們的聚合物都會分解。

If all these issues make you feel as if recycling plastics is infeasible,

如果這些問題讓你覺得 回收塑料是不可行的，

you wouldn't be the first.

你並不是第一個。

This reality was well known to the plastics industry as early as the 1970s.

早在 1970 年代塑料業 就已經非常清楚這個現實。

Despite their doubts that widespread recycling

儘管塑料業懷疑廣泛做回收

would ever be economically viable,

在經濟上不見得可行，

the industry threw millions of dollars into ad campaigns.

但他們仍砸了數百萬 美元做廣告宣傳。

Within the US, the plastics industry quietly lobbied state governments,

在美國，塑料業悄悄地遊說州政府，

leading a majority to adopt laws requiring that plastics

讓多數人通過法律，要求塑料

bear the confusing resin codes.

都要附上讓人困惑的樹脂代碼。

And with this, the burden of “fixing” the growing plastic waste problem

這麼做之後，「解決」 日益嚴肅的塑料廢物問題的重擔

was pushed from the industry onto the consumer.

就被塑料業推到了消費者身上。

Today, the situation has only gotten worse.

今天，情況只有變得更糟。

The rising costs to properly separate all this waste,

要將所有塑料廢物妥善 分類的成本不斷上升，

paired with fewer international buyers of recyclable scraps,

再加上可回收廢料的 國際買家越來越少，

has forced many cities to shut down their curbside recycling programs altogether.

迫使許多城市完全終止 它們的街頭回收計畫。

So how can we fix our growing plastic waste system?

我們如何處理我們不斷 成長的塑料廢物系統？

It’s clear that we must reduce the plastics we consume.

很明顯，我們必須減少 我們消耗的塑料。

More than a quarter of our plastic waste comes from packaging materials.

我們產生的塑料廢物 有超過四分之一來自包材。

Many manufacturers have taken steps in the right direction,

許多製造商已朝向正確的方向前進，

phasing out unnecessary plastic films, and switching out plastic tubs and tubes

逐步淘汰不必要的塑膠膜，

並將塑料容器和塑膠管換成

with more easily recyclable materials, or compostable options.

更容易回收的材料或可堆肥的選項。

For the plastics that do remain,

對於仍然在用的塑料，

one solution is to work towards a circular economy for plastics.

解決方案之一是致力於 塑料的循環經濟。

This means creating fewer new plastics, eliminating those that are single-use,

這意味著減少製造新塑料，

消除一次性使用的塑料，

and ensuring the plastics that remain can stay in circulation via recycling.

並確保剩下必須要用的塑料

可以透過回收持續循環使用。

Such a system would rely on policies that regulate plastics

這樣的系統要仰賴 用政策來管理塑料，

starting at their production—

且從生產時就開始管理——

ensuring that all plastics created are free from contaminants

確保所有製造出來的塑料 都沒有受到汙染，

that could harm their ability to be recycled.

要不然汙染物可能 會讓它們很難被回收。

In the meantime, many experts believe the current resin code system

同時，

許多專家認為應該目前的 樹脂代碼系統應該要被淘汰。

should be eliminated,

and swapped out for clear, simplified recyclable versus non-recyclable labels.

改用清楚、簡化的方式，

將標籤分成可回收和不可回收就好。

This would help consumers more easily sort their waste, but more importantly,

這樣做能幫助消費者更輕鬆地 將他們的廢棄物分類，

但更重要的是，

allow them to make informed decisions at purchase,

讓他們在購買時就能 據以做出明智的決定，

ultimately putting the pressure back on manufacturers

最終，把壓力推回給製造商，

to ensure a recyclable future.

要它們確保未來的 回收能夠做得更好。