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Well people act in their own self interest, so how do you propose that people go about implementing to encourage the lazy consume to take part?

GP makes a very valid point, and I don't know why they are being downvoted. It's basic game theory.

Maybe if the fee was given back to the consumer or split between them it might work. Like how bottle deposits used to work.




> so how do you propose that people go about implementing to encourage the lazy consume to take part?

Government regulation. In one of the states I reside in, electronics recycling is mandatory (and collection points, numerous and easily available). E-waste is prohibited from entering the traditional landfill waste stream, and there are fines (economic incentives!) for doing so. How else would you address lazy or selfish humans? It's why we have laws prohibiting littering, for example.

We could go further of course; perhaps partner with USPS so that collection could even happen at the curb daily (similar to Stitchfix's arrangement with USPS leveraging their processing stream for logistics). Even if you make it incredibly simple, some people will still complain. C'est la vie.


I already pay to recycle.

How has my clearly irrational behavior somehow defeated your ironclad game theory logic?


The chink in their Extremely Logical armor isn't in the idea that people act in their own self interest, it's in the shallow definition of self of that is implied.

I want my planet to do well.


If recycling is profitable, then recycling companies will go out of their ways to get recycleable stuff in their hands. So they will go to the consumer.

And waste disposal costs money, so consumer should have economic incentive to recycle instead of throwing everything in the bin.




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