Weighed Waste Wage

 

The Idea:

Once one’s recyclables are organized and ready for weekly pick up, they are then individually weighed. A lot like receiving a money-return for bottles at a bottle depot. Weekly waste pick up could be paying those who are recycling responsibly. This would also encourage incentive for those doing it properly. 

 

The Trucks:

Modern trucks have built-in scales that are capable of weighing not only their own tare weight, but new weight added into their containers. Accounting for recycled weight as it's added would be simple, giving the recycler accurate returns on their responsible recycling. 

 

The Plan:

The plan is to conduct this project out of a single Vancouver based neighbourhood. Trucks are already picking up these salvageable materials. Allocating a portion of the revenue generated by the recycling process could go back to the recycler. Does the collection make enough profit to return money? If not, what in the processing method can be changed so incentive revenue is raised. As it is here in Vancouver's bottle depots, if a beverage container is under a litre, 10 cents is refunded. Over a litre is 25 cents. It is no wonder homeless dig through garbage because beverage container collecting can really add up! Plastics, metals, glass, papers and organics will be weighed and a fair return of money will be automatically deposited into the recycler's bank account. 

 

Note:

Note that corporations should bare the responsibly of packaging their products so recycling them is efficient for the consumer. It is using numerous materials in one set of packaging which makes recycling product packaging a headache. Nonetheless, we need to recycle, reuse and reduce because that’s what we should do for our children, they are counting on us.

 

This idea is showcased in the novel Raider, on page 46.