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  3. To please shareholders and shoppers, American companies are promising to use more recycled materials in their products. It’s a n

To please shareholders and shoppers, American companies are promising to use more recycled materials in their products. It’s a n

admin2016-11-09  45
问题     To please shareholders and shoppers, American companies are promising to use more recycled materials in their products. It’s a nice idea, but surprisingly hard to achieve. Most recycled materials should be cheaper than virgin commodities, but America throws too much stuff away. Low landfill fees and a fragmented waste-management system have kept the country’s recycling rate at around 34% for two decades—far lower than most rich countries.
    Proving the value of recycling is not easy. Industry analysts say $1.25 billion is needed to fully modernize America’s recycling infrastructure. Another challenge is the different incentives of different players. Companies may demand more post-consumer material, but the supply relies on the desire of municipalities and consumers, and there’s no real incentive to maximize recovery or material value. Residents see little benefit from dutiful sorting. Even green-minded folks will throw away a soda can if a recycling bin isn’t readily available. Cities can boost recycling rates with higher landfill taxes or "pay-as-you-throw" plans, which charge households for the waste they create. But collecting and sorting this material is still a costly, complicated business, and the value of the goods does not always cover the cost of collection.
    It is also hard to increase the quantity of recycled goods without compromising quality. Many cities now give residents bigger bins and demand less sorting, but the often-contaminated results are a costly headache for recycling companies. One recycling bin ended up holding a six-foot shark.
    This is a particularly tough time to tell businesses that using more recycled materials makes good economic sense. Falling oil prices have lowered the price of virgin plastic against the recycled stuff, which has upset manufacturers and hurt recycling companies. Without a price on carbon, using recycled commodities does not necessarily help a company’s bottom line. People aren’t going to pay more for recycled plastic just because it’s recycled.
    In nearly 50 countries, a policy called "extended producer responsibility" shifts the burden of waste disposal from taxpayers to companies. Such schemes are all over the place when it comes to costs and effectiveness, but they boost recycling rates and save cities money. Thirty-two states already force companies to handle discarded electronics, batteries, mobile phones and other products. Lawmakers in Rhode Island recently introduced a bill that calls on companies to recycle at least 80% of packaging by 2020. If Walmart hopes to prove that voluntary measures will be enough to raise America’s stagnant recycling rates, it will need to work quickly.
The term "extended producer responsibility" involves manufactures________.
选项 A、assuming more responsibility for the quality of their products
B、being responsible for disposal of waste from their products
C、transporting their industrial waste to other countries
D、donating more money to the recycling of urban waste
答案B
解析 文章最后一段有shifts the burden of waste disposal from taxpayers to companies (把处理垃圾的负担由纳税人身上转移到生产厂家承担)。此项举措看来效果不错，已在许多地方实施。
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