Readers React: Humans make more trash than the Earth can handle. Blame capitalism

To the editor: Exponentially increasing trash production and the collapse of the market for recycling our trash threatens the entire biosphere of the planet. But it is not merely our “out-of-control trash-generating culture” that is the source.

It is time to face the fact that a sustainable planet is impossible under capitalism, a system that requires perpetual economic growth to avoid crises such as the Great Depression. Economic growth means ever increasing commodity production, resource extraction and therefore trash production.

It comes down to the obvious: An infinitely expanding system is impossible on a finite planet. The unfolding environmental crisis forces a choice between capitalism and the planet.

David Klein, Northridge

The writer is a professor of mathematics and director of the climate science program at Cal State Northridge.

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To the editor: As the editorial notes, the worldwide market for certain scrap materials has been disrupted by China’s decision to reject tens of millions of tons of recyclables from other countries.

But aluminum has a thriving market here in the U.S., while glass and PET plastic are processed into new bottles again here in California.

If we want to continue to make recycled bottles in the state, we must improve our container deposit law. We’ve lost 1,000 redemption centers since 2013 due largely to an outdated state payment formula. Each year, we needlessly trash 6 billion beverage containers while losing out on $300 million in refunds.

California must strengthen its container deposit law, push for higher minimum recycled content in new plastic bottles, and reduce single-use plastic consumption. We can most effectively address our plastic pollution problem using a multi-pronged approach.

Susan Collins, Culver City

The writer is president of the Container Recycling Institute.

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To the editor: Here is a quick and simple solution to the trash problem: Go to Sweden and learn.

More than 90% of all bottles and cans are recycled in Sweden. Trash is burned and turned into heat, which is used to make warm water and heat homes. This works so well that Sweden imports trash to burn.

Forget China. Send our trash to Sweden or, even better, find out how it turns trash into energy before we all turn into trash.

Nils-Eric Svensson, Laguna Woods

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