On: AI-guided robots are ready to sort recyclables

[hedora]

Here's an idea:

Charge product manufacturers enough tax to get recycling of their packaging to 95%.

Aluminum and clear glass would immediately become more popular (they are mechanically sortable). I'm guessing the manufacturers would quickly standardize on a small number of plastics for everything else.

[deelowe → hedora]

And the price of everything would go up in response. probably not politically feasible in this climate.

[gnopgnip → deelowe]

If externalities are being priced in, overall costs would go down. They are only cheap now because someone else pays that cost

[deelowe → gnopgnip]

There is no way to fully price in externalities. This problem is similar to measuring the length of a shoreline. The closer you look, the more externalities you’ll find.

[pindab0ter → gnopgnip]

That doesn’t change the fact that you’ll pay more at the till, which is where vulnerable people will feel it most.