Ironically, it was the trash handling companies that complained when the county introduced separating plastic from other general waste, because they had just invested in new machinery that could do it. And they have to keep that machinery and staff because not everyone will separate their waste properly.
But even then, what's the point? The separated plastic is bundled up and... then what? Exported or sold to the highest bidder, who will do whatever with it. Some is recycled / reused performatively, but I'm sure a lot is just put in landfill or burned.
See I don't even mind so much that plastic can't be reused as well yet, but it has to be stored responsibly. Landfill, concrete / impermiable basin, neatly stack the compressed plastic bales there, cover it up, and just forget about it until it can be "mined" again as a resource. Else, it'll just sit there and (naively of me, I know), be inert and harmless until it won't matter anymore.
Why would the companies complain if they still had to use their machinery? They didn't buy it in vain; the only difference is consumers waste a tiny bit more of their time.
If you have two bins, that's an extra day of sending a truck through the streets to collect it. It's not a direct issue for the people running the sorting machine, but it still feels backwards and/or like the person who made the decision didn't ask the workers what would be best.
Among other reasons, because they lose potential income from sorting recyclables if that separate "higher value" recyclables stream gets bid to a different company for pickup. They invested in the machines as an additional income source.
But even then, what's the point? The separated plastic is bundled up and... then what? Exported or sold to the highest bidder, who will do whatever with it. Some is recycled / reused performatively, but I'm sure a lot is just put in landfill or burned.
See I don't even mind so much that plastic can't be reused as well yet, but it has to be stored responsibly. Landfill, concrete / impermiable basin, neatly stack the compressed plastic bales there, cover it up, and just forget about it until it can be "mined" again as a resource. Else, it'll just sit there and (naively of me, I know), be inert and harmless until it won't matter anymore.