CHINA no longer wants to be the West’s dumping ground. I am not surprised.
For years we have sent our plastic waste to the Far East rather than recycling and repurposing it here in Yorkshire.
There is a logic to exporting waste packaging to China; returning means the ships don’t travel empty and the packaging can be reused.
But it has also created a massive pollution problem and now they’ve had enough.
A decade ago, as a city councillor, I urged City of York Council to lay recycled plastic kerbstones instead of concrete ones on York streets.
Tests showed plastic kerbs were as tough as concrete and while they were more expensive they had a huge advantage: they weighed less than half as much.
Lost workdays caused by back injuries, among the teams who install the kerbs, is a major expense for councils.
These injuries could be cut dramatically by switching to lighter kerbstones.
At the same time we’d be supporting local jobs by recycling Yorkshire’s plastic waste in Yorkshire.
The council didn’t get it in 2008, but we’re all still filling our recycling boxes.
I hope they’re now ready to think creatively before we drown in waste plastic.
Christian Vassie, Blake Court, Wheldrake, York
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