You are thinking of bureaucrats in the western world. These are eunuchs working under the thumb of political appointees within the context of democratic politics. They are hedged in by expectations that they are there to perform a public service. In China, the people exist to serve the party, so there is a role reversal when it comes to who is in charge. This is how/why the government is able to force companies to come together and share their secrets.
How is plastic waste ending up in landfills even a problem? If we don’t have the technology to efficiently recycle plastic waste now, we will in 50 years. Future landfill miners will praise us for our foresight. I’m having a hard time understanding the concern given the bigger environmental problems out there. Habitat loss, pollution, and climate change are less visible but more pressing problems.
