Letter to the editor: Managing the plastic bottle crisis

Regarding Toni Crisci’s op-ed “Every Bottle Back aims to keep empties out of waterways” (Dec. 7, TribLIVE): The Every Bottle Back initiative may be critical for keeping our environment clean and safe for people as well as protecting wildlife habitats. The Pennsylvania Beverage Association is to be commended for promoting the development of a “circular economy” for plastic bottles in the Pittsburgh area.

While it will be critical to invest monies to educate consumers, reinforce recycling infrastructure and modernize technology, high consumer participation will be at least in part due to reliable access to home, or at least local, recycling services and/or drop-off locations. This may be more easily accomplished in populated areas where a critical mass of participation may be more easily achieved.

It remains to be seen how the Every Bottle Back initiative will be rolled out in surrounding, more rural areas. Alternative strategies or incentives may be required to encourage participation and promote geographical inclusivity.

Perhaps there should be a tax (e.g., 10 to 20 cents) on the plastic bottles, which would be partially refunded upon bottle collection; however, the remainder of the tax monies would be used to maintain local collection sites in more rural areas.

Walter H. Sharlow Jr.

Butler