Why isn't all plastic used recyled?

If the government cared enough about the environment there are a number of things they could regulate. But, given our current system of manufacturing and retail product flow, simply regulating what US manufacturing plants may and may not do is not enough. Currently if the costs or regulation are too much or too high, the manufacturing is moved over seas to some other country. Mean while we, the consumer, complain about the high cost of US manufactured goods then shop at a discount or grocery chain among the products that cost less at the cash register. We could ban the import of products manufactured using child labor or prison labor under less than labor friendly conditions to make products out of else wise banned materials. But, we do this already and are unable to test, monitor, or even recall products that do not meet our minimal standards. Even within the country, only the Justice Department can call for a mandatory recall of food products and only after it has a criminal case in the works.

But, that aside - "The government" is "our government" - the quote goes something like "...by the people, for the people...". The collective we are allowed, and encouraged, to influence the laws made and how they are enforced. The collective we have not had enough environmental, or even personal health, concern to demand regulation and enforcement over the use of plastics in many arenas. On the other hand, the collective we have become accustomed to the use of plastic for many purposes: it is cheap, non-breakable, clear, light weight, durable, easily cleaned, disposable, and water proof. Meanwhile, there are a whole host of sub-groups within the collective we who have a vested interest in the continued use and development of the use of plastics; in turn they have participated in our governmental process influencing the development of laws and regulation related to the use of plastics.

In general, the collective we consider laws that do not negatively impact our lives and life-styles to be good. It goes with that saying: "There ought to be a law that...." . On the other hand, when a law requires us to or proposes that we change more than we are willing to change, it is amazing how quickly the "little guy", individual citizen can raise their voices into a collective roar. For example, the private automobile probably causes more air pollution than all of the industrial stacks combined. This air pollution is contributory to green house gas problems, global warming, and even a predictable number of deaths from a number of causes. Imagine the hug-a-ba-lu if the government proposed a law banning the use of all existing private vehicles, the manufacture of any additional private vehicles, and the import of any additional private vehicles. Although I realize that this would be a tremendous environmental thing to do, I would be among those creating a hug-a-ba-lu. I'm sure that it would affect and change the life-style of virtually every person in the US. And, I bet that it would be a change that, while great for the enviornment, you would find beyond desireable.

Legislating a requirement to use 100% recycled plastic for water bottles would probably cause just as much of a stir within the beverage industry as banning private vehicle use would cause among the general citizenry.

Plastics are the product of polymerization. Generally all plastics continue to polymerize and change their nature slightly as it ages. Hence when we recycle some of the plastics ages faster than the others and loose their property. This is why some are good to recycle and some others not. Since these are already being produced in large scale we cannot just like that close down these plants. Gradually in a decade we will see that they are no more in the market. Government is doing its part but we cannot also solve all the issues in one go.

your right if the government cared enough they would make that law but in my health class last year we learned that when you buy water packaged in plastic bottles and reuse the bottles it can get you very ill. in the plastic there's a chemical called bpa ( cant remember what it stands for) when the plastic is washed the bpa is released. so next time you want to wash a plastic botrle you bought (like aquafina and disani) check the little recycle triangle on the bottle, look at the number inside the trianglr, dont reuse the bottle if it above 4

yeah that would be great, but the government cant just walk in to every bottling company in the united states and demand that they use recycled plastic. within the next 10 15 years i think the bottling company's will have all switched over to recycled plastic.

With current technology, it is not practical to recycle some plastics - typically foamed plastics like styrofoam - used in coffee cups, plates, for the meat you buy in trays.

Personally, I am very uneasy with the use of recycled plastic for food or beverage contact items. Contaminant residues in the plastic may be harmful.

The chemical composition of some plastics make it unsuitiable for recycling, either the treatment is far to costly (financially or resource wise) or the biproducts are more harmful to the enviroment than the plastics them selves.