What to do with all that plastic

Re “Moving past ‘Wishcycling,’”Aug. 11

Thursday’s article on the glut of plastics in California and the world was short on solutions to the problem, but they do exist.

Just this week I read about a Whitby, Ontario, plant that each day turns 5 tons of unrecyclable plastic into 4,000 liters of fuel through a process called pyrolysis. Renewology in Salt Lake City does this on a larger scale. Japanese researchers have found plastic-eating bacteria. I have heard of plastic bales being used in place of straw bales in the construction of alternative housing.

Doubtless there are other solutions. Surely California has enough brainpower and innovation to figure this one out. Stan Brothers

Glendale

The market for recycled materials has collapsed now that China has stopped taking our recyclables. So let’s create a market by requiring all retail packaging to be made from recycled material. It could be phased in over a number of years beginning with only a small percentage of the content being recycled material, increasing that percentage over the years until demand outstrips supply.

Will it cost money? Of course. Anyone got a better idea? I guess we could just give up and bury everything. Bill Say

Simi Valley

Each day when our crews go out to service customers and pick up metals and other recyclables, we see the harsh realities of shrinking global recycling markets and the threat posed to our services. But the answer for boosting our slumping recycling rates is not in the adoption of unrealistic environmental reforms — especially when their costs are not carefully measured.

Bills like AB 792, a plastic content law, would require more plastic than our recycling centers could possibly produce. They are going to place a greater strain on the industry, particularly as we are facing an uphill battle with challenging markets for recyclables.

The laws of supply and demand mean that these impractical mandates would ultimately end up hurting recycling efforts and increase costs for Californians. Instead of pipe dream policies, lawmakers must understand the limits of recycling or they will only increase the cost of doing business in this state. Don Monroe

Los Angeles Don Monroe is president of C&M Metals, a recycling company.