Sunday, February 20, 2011

What Price Recycling?

As there is in many states California has a tax the government puts on the sales of bottles and cans that are sold with various beverages therein. This amazing tool to make our world "Green" is a few pennies per bottle but when you buy a case of something it sure can add up. This tax is called CA REDEMPTION VALUE. And that is exactly how it is displayed on the bottle "CA REDEMPTION VALUE" a billboard to tell you that you have paid more in taxes today.

The thought behind this tax is that it will encourage people who buy a soda to recycle the bottle instead of throw it in the street because they have in some way invested in it. The truth is the person who throws trash in the street doesn't give a crap about the few extra pennies spent. What is more likely is that the loser throws the bottle in the street and a homeless person collects it to take it to the recycling station to enable him to remain homeless. Thanks California for encouraging the homeless to live on the street. Where the money lays.

But why do I still have to pay CA REDEMPTION VALUE? I mean I separate my recycling daily and put it in a special container that I pay the trash guy to pick up and recycle.

WAIT!

I pay to purchase the bottle and then I pay again for someone to come pick up the bottle so that he can make money off the CA REDEMPTION VALUE of that bottle?
That's my damn CA REDEMPTION VALUE! I paid for that!

That's pretty fucked up if you ask me.

And on top of that there are built in charges I pay the trash guys to sort the trash which I have already sorted.

I need to get a job where I get paid to do something that has already been done for me.

It's time to rise up against CA REDEMPTION VALUE and other such taxes.
Or maybe a should just get another beer...

No comments: