In May, when nearly all the world’s nations signed an agreement to limit the amount of unrecyclable plastic waste shipped to developing countries, the U.S. refused to sign. But after months of global outcry over the United States’ role in the plastic pollution crisis, companies that collect and dispose of the waste are trying to clamp down on the amount of American refuse that gets dumped in poorer countries.
For instance, Waste Management Inc., the nation’s largest trash hauler, inaugurated a new policy that no longer allows the shipping of discarded plastic to countries outside North America. Several other large trash companies have also said they won’t export plastics.
It’s positive to see companies taking their own course of action in order to protect the planet. Hopefully, this also spurs the US to develop better means of recycling now that the country will be home to a lot more waste.
