Suzanne Stanley | It's not just about buying back plastic

I write with reference to an article carried by the Jamaica STAR on Thursday, June 28, 2018, with the headline 'Small financial returns for recycling plastic bottles'.

The article is a critique of what the writer considers to be the low price being paid for plastic by recycling companies; however, in doing so, he appears to be confusing this practice with the proposed plastic bottle deposit refund scheme announced by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in his 2018-19 Budget presentation.

I, therefore, feel it important to clarify for the benefit of your readers, the difference between a plastic bottle deposit refund scheme, and a recycling company that simply pays consumers for their plastic waste.

Deposit-refund scheme

A deposit-refund scheme works by asking for a payment when something is purchased, which is then paid back upon its return. For decades, many Jamaicans have been participating in a deposit-refund scheme for some types of glass bottles. Empty bottles can be taken to wholesalers and liquor stores across the island where the deposit of approximately J$10 per bottle is refunded.

Although a few Jamaican recycling companies have been known to pay consumers for large quantities of plastic bottles, it is important to note that this buy-back arrangement does not constitute a deposit refund scheme.

The money being paid over by the recycling companies is not the refund of a deposit paid by the consumer at the point of purchase. Instead, it is a transaction in which recycling companies are simply buying recyclable materials to carry out their business. This arrangement is less sustainable than a deposit-refund scheme, as the price paid for recyclable plastic is not guaranteed, being heavily dependent on global demand, which is closely linked to the price of oil.

If the price of recyclable plastic on the global market gets very low, recycling companies must either continue to pay consumers for their plastic and face ever-increasing operational costs or decide to no longer pay consumers for their plastic and face having no recyclable plastic with which to work.

A well-designed deposit-refund scheme should create an environment where recycling becomes easier and more attractive for both consumers and recycling companies, with the added benefit of improving Jamaica's solid-waste management.

Although we do not yet know the form Jamaica's plastic bottle deposit-refund scheme will take, if the deposit is set at an attractive amount, it should provide a monetary incentive for consumers to bring plastic bottles back to collection points. This, by extension, should reduce the cost of collection for recycling companies, and slash the amount of carelessly discarded garbage in our streets and waterways.

The Jamaica Environment Trust looks forward to hearing more details on the plastic bottle deposit-refund scheme from the Government very soon, and pledge our support to continue educating Jamaicans on good solid waste-management practices through our Nuh Dutty Up Jamaica campaign.

- Suzanne Stanley is chief executive officer of Jamaica Environment Trust. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and sstanley.jet@gmail.com.