Introducing recycling deposit on durable goods

Description

A deposit placed on products at point of sale is refunded to the consumer at the time of return of the goods for recycling.

Implementation

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.

Counter-claim

Goods create a large number of environmental problems from cradle to grave. To solve them by way of an ecological tax at the product level is very likely to be inefficient because it limits the number of options open to producers and consumers for remedying those environmental problems.