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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  51
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.
Which of the following is NOT one of the difficulties facing recycling in America?
选项 A、More recycled goods may come at the cost of quality.
B、Sorting the waste material is expensive and troublesome.
C、Some consumers are reluctant to contribute to recycling.
D、Walmart has been trying hard to discourage recycling.
答案D
解析 文章第三段第一句的含义是“如果不牺牲质量，就很难提高由回收物品生产的商品数量”。第二段最后一句有collecting and sorting this materials still a costly, complicated business，说明给垃圾分类成本高、很复杂。第二段第四句说明人们对于回收利用垃圾缺乏热情，而第六句指出如果附近没有垃圾箱，即使有环保意识的人也会随手扔掉易拉罐，这些现象表明有些人不主动为垃圾的回收利用做出贡献。文章并没说沃尔玛不支持回收利用。
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