Formation and disposal of waste inevitably take place as part of our life as we eat, dress and use different products. Some individuals nowadays say not enough of waste produced by people is recycled, so the government should turn recycling into a legal requirement. However, I generally disagree with this idea.
Admittedly, passing a law making people recycle more seems to be an easy solution. After all, whatever is required legally, there is usually inevitable punishment for violating it. Therefore, some argue, if the proposal in question is put into practice, citizens would fear the punishment, such as a hefty fine, and recycle more of their waste. The proof of this idea being effective can be seen in many other sectors, including taxation. Because people will be held accountable when breaking the legal requirement of taxes, almost everyone pays them on time.
However, there are many reasons not to have that type of law in place. Firstly, waste treatment is a very basic part of life, just like eating, drinking or driving, and having a law insisting people on practicing that sounds strange. People’s awareness of its importance should just be raised, for instance, through education in schools or regularly giving information on social media, and they will start to take necessary measures themselves, without the government forcing them. Last but not least, the very act of recycling should be the responsibility of the government itself, rather than ordinary citizens. This is because there is no way of practicing at home: it is simply hard to imagine how people can process used plastic bottles, bags or other such items in their home environments. Since recycling requires special procedures and facilities, the authorities themselves should organize recycling centers in local areas, and people’s part should only be disposing of their litter into special garbage bins.