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> especially since people provide the used plastic for basically free.

It is definitely not free. It requires another completely separate set of trucks to go around in addition to all the regular trash-collecting trucks.

Which means vehicle maintenance, crew salaries and general administration.

The reason it's not cost effective is because the negative externalities aren't built into the price of making the new items.




> The reason it's not cost effective is because the negative externalities aren't built into the price of making the new items.

That could be true, or not. It might be the case that recycling isn't cost effective even assuming negative externalities are properly costed.




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