The Los Angeles Times can’t bring itself to admit it. But the math adds up. California’s largest recycling business has closed all 284 recycling centers because of…” increased business costs.”
California is at the forefront of proving you can ruin more lives with liberal policy. Its mandatory wage hikes (which inspired NH Democrats but not Gov. Sununu) are putting restaurants out of business, and hourly workers, well, out of work.
RePlanet already had tightening margins on its aluminum and plastic. When the busy-body experts in Sacramento rammed through their idea of what an hour of labor was worth RePlanet couldn’t make it work.
The Recycling redemption centers let 750 employees go and leave the state with a problem. As the largest redemption site for recycling, where do people go to ‘save the planet?’
The closures also mean more bottles made of aluminum and polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, will end up in landfills. People will either throw their recyclables directly into the garbage or place them in curbside recycling bins, which are often filled with contaminated material that must be discarded .
Never fear. I’m sure the budget writers have a line-item for that.
Advocates are urging the state to reform how it subsidizes recycling centers. They worry that now more recyclables will end up in landfills.
Consumer Watchdog responded to news of the RePlanet closure by urging CalRecycle, the California agency in charge of recycling, to require all grocery and convenience store chains to start redeeming cans and bottles.
Consumer watchdog? Grocery stores will have to hire more people at the mandated higher wage to handle recycling and redemptions. The only way that works is if prices go up elsewhere to absorb the increased costs and any loss. (RePlanet couldn’t make it work.) So, “Consumers” will be paying even more for food and personal items to engage in a state-mandated practice that may be worse for the environment.
And these are the smartest people in any room?
Is this room a pre-school?
