Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

Committee: Environmental Commission (EC)

Issue: Reevaluating ineffective recycling methods in More Economically Developed

Countries (MEDCs)

Student Officer: Athinais Lachana

Position: Deputy President

PERSONAL INTRODUCTION

Dear Delegates,

It is my honor to welcome you to the Environmental Commission of the 6th ACGMUN!

My name is Athinais Lachana and I’m an A’ Lyceum student at Pierce-The American
College of Greece. This will be my first-time chairing and I am very excited to be
working with all of you.

I was for the first time introduced to MUN in September 2021 by my English teacher
and immediately fell in love with it. MUN has helped me develop my problem-solving
skills and gain a deeper insight into many topics concerning the world. By attending
conferences, I have not only learned many things but have also created great
memories and gained an overall life experience. Therefore, I want to congratulate you
for being an active member of the MUN community and urge you to participate in as
many conferences as possible.

During this two-day conference, our committee will dive into environmental
worldwide conflicts and will debate with hopes of solving them. This year’s theme,
“Breaking Barriers” connects to our third topic, reevaluating ineffective recycling
methods in More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs), since the goal is to
break the technological barriers and achieve an effective recycling system.

I hope this study guide appears to be helpful, but I strongly encourage you to further
research the topic to be able to suggest and present even more solutions and aspects
of the issue. You may contact me and pose questions on the study guide, or the topic
in general prior to the conference via the following email: [email protected]

Sincerely,

Athinais Lachana

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 1 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

TOPIC INTRODUCTION

Recycling is a three-step process through which materials that would be

thrown away are collected, then processed and finally remanufactured into new
products. 1Recycling is beneficial to the environment but also to the economy and the
development of a country. More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) have
tried to adopt recycling to protect the environment, their citizens’ health but also
develop and improve. Practicing recycling efficiently saves energy, lowers costs,
reduces pollution, and creates new job opportunities. Overall, it also strengthens the
country’s economy by creating jobs, building more competitive manufacturing
industries, and by converting waste into valuable raw materials. Today, the process of
recycling does not meet the expected goals. For example, the municipal solid waste
(MSW) recycling rate in the US remains as low as 35%. Furthermore, only about 67.2
million tons of a possible 267.8 million tons are being recycled, which is less than a
quarter of total MSW, even though the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
estimates that around 75% of all waste is recyclable. Although most people in MEDCs
recycle daily it appears that it is many times done incorrectly. The current recycling
process is flawed. A main factor is that contaminated recyclables are being shipped to
Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs), that are unable to control them, since
they are not developed enough, due to lack of infrastructure. Landfills 2 also hinder
recycling efforts. Waste is disposed, and results to air, soil, and groundwater pollution.
Natural disasters, such as fires, can start from landfills when large amounts of waste
are mixed with the gases landfill sites produce. Landfills are a way of disposing waste
that has been used for many years now, however, there have recently been made
efforts to reduce them, because of how harmful they are.

The costly process of sorting plastic recyclable materials is also an obstacle in

recycling. Steps of the recycling process are avoided to save money and time which
leads to them not being correctly processed into new materials. Electronic waste (E-
waste) is also an issue that needs to be addressed. Electrical or electronic equipment
constantly ends up in waste because they are considered useless or can’t “serve” their
purpose anymore. Most electronics contain some form of toxic materials, that are
seriously harming to the environment and once buried in a landfill can cause many
problems, such as the release toxic materials leaching into the environment.

In most more economically developed countries there are many efforts made
to improve recycling. Germany has had the highest recycling rate in the world since

1US EPA. “The U.S. Recycling System.” Www.epa.gov, 17 Apr. 2019, www.epa.gov/recyclingstrategy/us-
recycling-system.
2
Landfill: the disposal of waste material by burying it, especially as a method of filling in and
reclaiming excavated pits.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 2 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

2016, with 56.1% of all waste produced in 2019 recycled. Austria has also showed high
recycling rates and in 2018, 58% of all municipal waste in the country was recycled.

With today’s technologies and experts, the desirable results from recycling can
be achieved. Educating the public, as most would think, is for sure an important mean
through which the desirable outcome can be reached, but there is definitely much
more that can be done to bring change. Most people know which color bin is the
correct for each material, but many times the process of sorting later does not get
these materials where they actually should be. Usually, the costly process of sorting
and processing recyclable materials is not done correctly, leading to this recycling
method being labeled as ineffective. Investing in equipment and technologies that will
improve such processes is a step to fix the flaws of an already existing recycling
method. The creation of new ways of recycling would sound more appealing to most
but improving what already exists will bring better results and will cost less. The public
is more used to already practiced recycling methods and the big fundamental
investments in them have already been made. Recycling is a beneficial process when
done correctly but can end up being harmful if done incorrectly and incautiously.

DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

Landfill

“The process of getting rid of large amounts of rubbish by burying it, or a place where
rubbish is buried.” 3 Landfills are very harmful and demolish the process of recycling.
They have been used as a recycling method by various countries for many years now
and it has been proven multiple times how harmful they are.

Microplastics

“Extremely small pieces of plastic debris in the environment resulting from the
disposal and breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste.” 4 There hasn’t
been a steady approach discovered to reduce microplastics yet. It is a fact though that
plastic recycling can’t solve the microplastics problem so therefore all current
recycling methods are ineffective when it comes to microplastics.

More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs)

“These are countries with a developed economy. This results to a good standard of
living, including good education, health care, and employment opportunities.”5

3 (Cambridge Dictionary, “LANDFILL | Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary”)

4 (Cambridge Dictionary, “Microplastics”)
5 Britannica kids. “More Economically Developed Countries.” Britannica Kids,

kids.britannica.com/students/article/more-economically-developed-countries/604089. Accessed 3 Jan. 2023.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 3 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

Recycling is definitely more developed in MEDCs than in the rest countries of the
world. Multiple MEDCs have showed huge progress in recycling for the past years, like
Germany and Switzerland but there are still nations that fall behind in recycling, such
as Greece.

Organic Waste

“Organic waste is any material that is biodegradable and comes from either a plant or
an animal. Biodegradable waste is organic material that can be broken into carbon
dioxide, methane or simple organic molecules.”6 Organic waste that involves a huge
chunk of total waste is the easiest to recycle.

Recycling

“The process of putting a used substance through a particular process so that it is fit
to use again” 7. Recycling is first of all beneficial to the environment but can also
strengthen the economy of a country that is a good recycler.

Waste

“Waste (or wastes) are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance which
is discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use.”8 The import
of very large amounts of waste in China prevented some nations from creating
effective recycling methods and after China’s importing ban, they had to face serious
recycling issues.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The History of Recycling

Recycling During World Wars

Recycling rose from the need to save money, during both World Wars. The
government established a Waste Reclamation Service in response to
widespread material shortages in WWI. That is also when a famous recycling
slogan ‘Don’t Waste It, Save It’ started being used. Materials were diminishing
and there was a lack of resources, so both the United States and the United

6 C. Donkin, Teresa. “Organic Waste | Encyclopedia.com.” Www.encyclopedia.com,

www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/organic-waste.
7 Rinkesh. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Recycling - Conserve Energy Future.” Conserve Energy Future, 6

July 2018, www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-recycling.php. Accessed 3 Jan.

2023.
8 Wikipedia. “Waste.” Wikipedia, 18 Feb. 2023,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste#:~:text=Waste%20%28or%20wastes%29%20are%20unwanted%20or%20unusable
%20materials. Accessed 5 Mar. 2023

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 4 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

Kingdom, requested public assistance. Campaigns collecting different

materials gained recognition during WWII. Overall, the British were very strict
with recycling. By cooking what was required and cultivating as much as they
could at home, the British people decreased food waste. The government
promoted repairing damaged furniture and reusing discarded garments as
rags. Promoting recycling of unwanted metal helped governments collect
resources and build necessary equipment for the war effort. Initially, recycling
methods as proved rise from an urgent need for change or a matter of
surviving as seen during the war.

Modern Recycling

Modern recycling originates in the 1970s. After WWII and until the 1970s landfills had
reached their maximum capacity. Initially, Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and
other initiatives, rose awareness attempting to solve the issue. Between 1970 and
1980, a beverage container deposit law and new recycling programs were enforced.
This also supported the formation of environmental movements.

Importance of Recycling in MEDCs

Recycling is very beneficial to MEDCs. It leads to a cleaner environment, a more

powerful economy, and supports sustainable development. The conversion of waste
to valuable raw materials increases employment, improves competition between
manufacturers, and strengthens a nation’s economy. Reduction of energy
consumption, decreases greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming. The
conservation of natural resources and reinforcement of environmental sanitation are
also important outcomes from recycling. Lastly, recycling saves production and energy
costs since products being recycled usually require much less processing to turn them
into usable materials.

Supervising Recycling Methods

All government aspects and the Department of Environmental Affairs are responsible
for supervising waste management and recycling. The Department of Environmental
Affairs was founded in 2009 and later replaced (2019) by the Department of
Environment, Forestry and Fisheries by the South African government. Specifically for
the US, The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA), mission is to
protect human health and the environment. The EPA regulates household, industrial,
and manufacturing solid and hazardous wastes under the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA). The RCRA is the public law that creates the framework for the
proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste “RCRA's goals are
to protect us from the hazards of waste disposal; conserve energy and natural

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 5 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

resources by recycling and recovery; reduce or eliminate waste; and clean up waste
that which may have spilled, leaked or been improperly disposed of.” 9 Despite that,
there is still not enough supervision of recycling systems and methods all around the
world, and especially in MEDCs.

Evaluation of Recycling Systems/Programs

An effective way to evaluate recycling systems and methods is using an evaluating

methodology, ‘Lifecycle Evaluation’. The evaluation of a recycling system or program
is crucial both when it is being practiced and after it is over. This methodology includes
an economic assessment of the environmental consequences. Lifecycle Evaluation
refers to the combination of lifecycle assessment and economic evaluation. When
evaluating a recycling system, it is important to evaluate its effectiveness,
environmental results, costs, financial results and the difference or improvement it
brings. Two other important measures are recorded per capita: Material Recovery
Rate (MRR), and Recycler Material Recovery Rate (RMRR) as is the participation rate
(PR). MRR, Material Recovery Rate refers to the total amount of output useable
materials by weight as a percentage of the amount by weight of input materials.

Features of a Good Recycling System, Effective Recycling Methods

It is important to recognize the good features and already existing effective recycling
methods and programs. Reducing plastic bags has been applied in many countries.

Energy Recycling is the conversion of plastics into both thermal and electric energy,
which has so far been an effective recycling method mainly used in MEDCs. Waste-to-
Energy power plants are waste management facilities that combust waste to generate
electricity. It is a potential strategy for energy diversification, especially practiced by
Sweden, which has been a leader in waste-to-energy production for the past 20 years.
An effective way to practice recycling, is the sale of high-quality recyclable materials,
for example, construction ones, leading to increased numbers of uses of recycled
materials.

Flaws of Modern Recycling

9
US EPA, OMS. “Regulatory and Guidance Information by Topic: Waste.” US EPA, 10 Nov. 2014,
www.epa.gov/regulatory-information-topic/regulatory-and-guidance-information-topic-waste.
Accessed 4 Jan. 2023www.epa.gov/regulatory-information-topic/regulatory-and-guidance-
information-topic-waste. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 6 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

Contamination prevents large batches of material from being recycled, because

items in incorrect recycling stream make their way through the recycling system,
contaminating or damaging other recyclable materials.

High Costs

The costs of creating recyclable materials are high. Recycling was relatively
inexpensive for many years. Millions of tons of recyclables were shipped from
North America and Europe to China, where they were purchased at a price that
helped offset the cost of local recycling programs in exporter countries. China
banned such imports in 2018. China imported about 600,000 metric tons of
plastic waste in 2017, the year before its strict import ban went into effect.
With 56% of the global market, China was the biggest importer of used plastics.
This ban caused scrap metal prices to plummet as exporting countries were left
with waste they could not process because they had been relying on China
instead of investing in domestic recycling facilities.

Recycling programs are sometimes hampered by the systems that they employ.
Multi-stream recycling, in which materials are separated before collection,
necessitates more consumer effort but is easier to sort and generally less
expensive. Nonetheless, many cities use single-stream recycling, in which all
materials are collected in the same bin. This is convenient for consumers, but
it frequently results in contamination, as materials must be sorted by both
machine and human hand, thus increasing costs. Single-stream recycling was
used in 20% of recycling communities in 2005, but the number increased and
64% of them did so in 2010. Simultaneously, communities that used multi-
stream decreased recycled materials from 70% to 34%. These factors have led
to not only higher recycling costs, but also lower recycling rates, as many
municipalities have resorted to incineration or landfills for scrap materials that
are less valuable or simply cannot be processed. High upfront capital costs are
also a major issue. Constructing a new waste recycling unit is costly. The
associated costs include purchasing various utility vehicles, enhancing the
recycling unit, waste, chemical disposal, and educating the locals through the
implementation of useful programs and seminars.

Non-Durable Recycled Waste Products

The quality of products made from recycled waste is poor. Such products are
made from waste material gathered from mountains of other waste materials
that have been overutilized and brittle. Recycled waste products are less
durable and less affordable. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that high-

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 7 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

quality products will be obtained from waste recycling if the input raw material
is of poor quality. So, due to poor quality, some items designated for recycling
are eventually burned or disposed of in landfills.

Energy Consumption, Pollution and Unsanitary Environments

To recycle tons of material, waste must be transported, sorted, cleaned, and

processed in separate factories, all of which require energy and may produce
by-products that pollute soil, air, or water. Even vehicles used to pick up
recyclables contribute to air pollution by releasing toxins that are all airborne.
Any waste recycling site will almost always have unsanitary conditions.
Locations where various types of waste are piled provide an ideal environment
for the formation of debris and the spread of infectious diseases. The
hazardous chemicals emitted by these wastes can also be dangerous. Aside
from causing massive pollution, the entire recycling process poses health risks
to the individuals who are in charge of recycling these waste products.

MAJOR COUNTRIES AND ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED

China

For many years, EU countries and the USA exported their waste to China. They
received back an amount of money, but that changed when China banned waste
import in 2018. China realized the disadvantages of this process were more than the
advantages. This ban brought many negative consequences to the exporting countries
and challenged them to find solutions and new recycling methods. China's latest
efforts in recycling plastic waste have made a significant contribution to fighting
climate change, reducing crude oil consumption and minimizing carbon emissions.
China has developed a market-based plastic recycling system with broad coverage,
accounting for 45 percent of global plastic recycling. Despite all that, China produces
more than 60 million tons of plastic a year, and its recycling rate is only around 30%.

Finding alternatives for plastic bags, straws, packaging, bottles can reduce the amount
of products that need to be recycled. To address the issue, it has already encouraged
major cities to implement trash sorting policies, construct industrial-scale recycling
plants, and prohibit restaurants and e-commerce platforms from using single-use
items such as plastic straws and shopping bags.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 8 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

Germany

Germany has the strictest recycling system and highest recycling rate in the world, and
which was formed during the 1990s. There are numerous recycling bins, requiring its
citizens to do the sorting themselves, in contrast to the United States, where most
counties have a trash can and a recycling bin. There are six different bins: black for
general waste, blue for paper, yellow for plastic, white for clear glass, green for
colored glass and brown for composting. The strict government recycling policy
combined with Germans embracing recycling, bring a positive outcome. Germany
recycles 66% of their trash, according to the researchers, who compiled their data
from official sources and adjusted the numbers to account for different countries’
methods of measuring.

The percentage of reusable bottles placed in the German collection machines is 97.9%
and the percentage used to produce new bottles is much lower. The recycling
methods applied in Germany have proved to be effective, since recycling rates are
high. Moreover, sorting recyclables in different bins instead of a common one, has
made the process of recycling easier and more efficient.

Greece

Although an MEDC Greece is a late developer in recycling. The main problems are
illegal landfilling and reliance on landfills, very low recycling rates, the management
of hazardous waste and overall poor organization. Financing appears to be a
significant issue as well, particularly in areas where EU funding is not available.
Because waste in landfills decomposes more quickly in the Mediterranean climate,
more methane is produced. Methane is vented and released into the atmosphere in a
controlled manner on the small Greek islands. Larger landfill sites burn off the
methane, and this process could also be used to generate energy from waste and
gases. Certain ways and laws that are proposed can help improve and change the
ineffective recycling methods in Greece or replace them with new ones that are
effective. Waste packaging can be collected separately (plastic, paper, metal, glass)
and it has been decided that municipalities will be able to charge lower municipal fees
to those who produce less waste and/or recycle more, like the "pay as you throw"
(PAYT) scheme used in other parts of Europe. Moreover, municipalities that send
waste to landfills should face higher landfill fees and all new buildings must have waste
collection areas with four distinct streams.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 9 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

USA

Bearing in mind that there is no federal recycling law, in the beginning of July 2020,
individual state action had been taken, regarding recycling. In 27 states there has been
a recycling policy created and at least one product from disposal in its solid waste
facilities has been banned. During the 2020 legislative sessions, there was a suggestion
of more than 600 new bills, for both reducing waste and strengthening recycling
systems. Data collection is for many states the first step in improving recycling
systems. States are also investing heavily in recycling programs and providing funding
to municipalities and businesses to support market development, education
campaigns, infrastructure improvements, and other initiatives.

Some also aim repairing the already existing ones. The recycling process differs in each
US state but the main three steps are same for all. Consumers or businesses produce
recyclable items, which are subsequently collected by a private hauler or government
agency. The collector transports the materials to a processing facility, such as a paper
mill or a materials recovery facility. The recyclables are sorted, decontaminated, and
ready for delivery to a milling facility or directly to a manufacturing facility at the
processing facility. Some products could need more processing in order to undergo
additional sorting and decontamination. For instance, glass and plastic are frequently
delivered to facilities that convert them into mill-ready forms: glass beneficiation
plants and plastics reclaimers. Lastly, recyclables are transformed into new products
in recycling plants or other facilities, such as paper mills or bottle manufacturing
facilities, when all essential processing is finished.

The main flaw in the recycling of the US is that although metal and glass recycling work
very effectively and 70% of US paper is being recycled, the majority of plastic is non-
recyclable. Although every kind of plastic might theoretically be recycled, the majority
of plastics are very challenging to breakdown and convert into new items. For starters,
collecting and melting down plastic is expensive. Recycling paper, metal and glass
requires less energy and resources and is therefore less expensive, but recycled plastic
is in fact more expensive to produce than new plastic. To improve the ineffective
recycling of plastic, the US should produce less items that contain plastic and should
search for ways of producing plastic that is made out of recyclable materials. Another
problem with recycling in the US is that according to the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), about 55% of all garbage in the US is buried in a landfill,
among the 2,000 active ones in the US. This is equivalent to 139 million tons of waste.
The harmful effects of landfills as they are previously mentioned in the guide, make
the process of recycling more difficult but also have an impact on human and planet

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 10 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

health. A suggestion for tackling this issue could be the progressive legal ban of
landfills, by slowly decreasing them.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is the EPA’s main goal and moto. The EPA aims to teach
individuals that recycling is beneficial to them as well as the community and
environment. This can be achieved by saving money, energy, and natural resources.
In addition, this organization manages recycling programs on local and state level. The
EPA’s main goal on a national level is working to build an economy that keeps
materials, products, and services in circulation for as long as possible, which forms a
“circular economy.” A circular economy reduces material consumption, redesigns
materials to be less resource intensive, and reclaims "waste" as a resource to produce
new materials and products. The National Recycling Strategy is the first in a series of
policies designed to help the EPA realize its vision of a circular economy for all.

European Union (EU)

The European Union’s environmental legislation, includes approximately 300 legal

acts, including directives, regulations, decisions, and recommendations. This act
began after discovering the following surprising statistics: 5 tons of waste is produced
by the average European each year, only 38% of waste in the EU is recycled and over
60% of household waste still goes to landfill in some EU countries. Therefore, the EU
has created a special list of waste-related laws. This was an effort made to protect the
environment and human health. Also, the use of recovery and recycling techniques to
reduce pressure on resources and improve their use. These laws concern reducing the
waste of specific materials (ex. Batteries), controlling landfill waste, the transportation
of waste and more.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

WW1-WW2 Campaigns to promote recycling for war

efforts started gaining attention
1970s Beginning of Environmental Movement
but also by the end of the 1970s landfills
had reached maximum capacity
1970-1980 Beverage container deposit law and new
recycling programs passed
2000 ‘Fantastic Three’, was San Francisco’s
attempt to implement effective
recycling methods
2005 Single-stream recycling was used in 20%
of recycling communities

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 11 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

October 7th 2009 The Department of Environmental

Affairs was founded
July 15th 2009 ‘Fantastic Three’ passed legislation
2010 The number of recycling communities
using single-stream recycling increased
to 64 %
25 September 2015 A/RES/70/1 Transforming Our World:
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development passed by the General
Assembly of the UN and was introduced
to the people
2016 Germany reached the highest recycling
rate in the world
1 January 2016 The 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development were
introduced by the UN
2017 One year before their waste import ban,
China imported about 600,000 metric
tons of plastic waste
2018 58% of all municipal waste in Austria was
recycled
January 1st 2018 China banned waste import
April 1st 2019 The Department of Environmental
Affairs was replaced by the Department
of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries
by the South African government
Beginning of July 2020 Individual state action was taken in the
US, regarding recycling
2020 Legislative sessions happened where
there was a suggestion of more than 600
new bills, for both reducing waste and
strengthening recycling systems (US)

RELEVANT UN RESOLUTIONS, TREATIES AND EVENTS”

“Zero Waste” Challenge by the United Nations

The “Zero Waste” challenge was developed by the Moema Viezzer Environmental
Education Observatory. It started as an effort to educate and change daily lifestyle and
the management of garbage. Workshops were also built based on the following:
Rethink the consumption; Reuse the materials; Reduce consumption; Recycle the
materials and Compost the garbage. At the same time, it proposes and implements
methods such as garbage separation stations, furniture from reused materials and
sustainable fashion.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 12 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

Sustainable Goal number 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production” (SDG12)

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development were introduced by the UN on the 1st of January 2016. According to the
UN, SDG12 aims: “decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation,
increasing resource efficiency and promoting sustainable lifestyles.” It sets as a goal
sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources by 2030. Through
efficient recycling methods this can be faster achieved and without many spendings.

A/RES/70/1 Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable

Development

Is a plan of action introduced to people, on 25 September 2015, passed by the General

Assembly of the United Nations. States many issues including the improvement of
recycling. It suggests new solutions and encourages nations to apply them. It mentions
the sustainable management of natural resources, which is a way to reduce waste.
Sustainable management is also one of the main expected results of the process of
recycling. By achieving an effective recycling system, the goal can be reached.

PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO SOLVE THE ISSUE

‘Fantastic Three’, San Francisco

‘Fantastic Three’, was San Francisco’s attempt to implement effective recycling

methods, which started in 2000 and passed legislation in 2009. But, it had been
criticized, because the system was built on a highly unusual partnership with a single
waste company, Recology. Recology has had a monopoly on handling San Francisco’s
waste for almost 90 years. Many support that if the city broke ties with the company
it would save a large amount of money. Others believe that since the program has
been working well there is no reason to break up Recology’s monopoly.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Creating Legislation

There is a need for legislation to pass not only in the UN or the EU but in each nation
individually, promoting and proposing effective recycling methods. It is important that
laws for each sector will be separated and will include the use of more recyclable
materials in manufacturing, since recyclables would reduce waste. In manufacturing
waste is any cost incurred in a process that does not benefit the customer. There are

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 13 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

7 wastes: Transport, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Overproduction, Overprocessing and

Defects. All these combined create a total of 7.6 billion tons of industrial waste.
Furthermore, for this to be accomplished, major companies should be equipped with
recycling equipment and be offered with recycling friendly infrastructure.

Developing the Domestic Market

Developing the domestic market requires the improvement of technology that sorts
and recovers recyclable materials. Consequently, recyclable materials will be
efficiently converted into new products. As these products will be presented in the
marketplace it is important that there is an audience which has been formed, waiting
to purchase them. In that way, consumer demand will exist, and the products will get
more recognition. In order to reach an audience, these products could for example
replace products the market is short in or be offered in more reasonable prices.

Improving Already Existing Recycling Methods

Reevaluating is all about improving what already exists, and therefore identifying the
flaws of the already existing recycling methods and suggesting ways to improve them
would save time and valuable resources. Experts have already identified the
weaknesses of recycling systems in MEDCs. Creating educational programs for citizens
for them to learn how to practice the already existing recycling methods correctly, to
achieve the expected results is a feasible idea. In addition to that, giving the companies
an initiative by offering them an “award” such as a small reduction of taxes if they
reach a percentage of waste recycling.

E-Cycling

The number of electronic equipment that is being thrown away proportionately

increases per annum. Citizens should be informed about how harmful e-waste is, since
it a significant issue. It is harmful, because the components used to make devices such
as laptops, cell phones, and televisions, contain metals and chemicals known to harm
human health. Therefore, the solution to e-waste could be the creation of an
accessible to every citizen center where electronic equipment can be exported. Apart
from recycling them, these centers could donate the equipment to different facilities
that might need them, after repairing, for example in schools. Another solution is to
“retouch” them by upgrading them and making them available to the market again.

Supervising Agencies

The United Nations could create a supervising agency checking if each country
implements its recycling laws and keeps its recycling rates high. The agency will be
funded by the UN and will be run by experts, such as environmentalists and chemists
as well as lawyers. It should also create a goal for each country, based on its economy

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 14 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

and recycling capacity, which would obligate them to recycle at least a specific
percentage of their waste. In collaboration with each nation, this supervising agency
could also form and suggest laws for each country based on its status. More
specifically, taking in account its financial state, current recycling state, current
recycling laws and how informed and sensitized citizens are on the concept of
recycling. Another responsibility this agency could have, is the reformation of
ineffective recycling methods and programs. Lastly, an idea to help each nation
implement the laws and recycling methods suggested could be a “reward” such as the
title of the best recycler or most improved recycler, for countries that were late
developers in recycling but improved.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 15 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

BIBLIOGRAPHY

7 Tips to Recycle Better.” Earth Day, 25 Feb. 2022, www.earthday.org/7-tips-to-

recycle-better/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

American Disposal Services. “A Brief History of Recycling.” Northeast Recycling

Council, 19 Nov. 2019, nerc.org/news-and-updates/blog/nerc-blog/2019/11/19/a-
brief-history-of-recycling. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

Borsatto, Jaluza Maria Lima Silva, and Lara Bartocci Liboni Amui. “Green Innovation:
Unfolding the Relation with Environmental Regulations and Competitiveness.”
Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 149, Oct. 2019, pp. 445–454,
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344919302666,
10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.06.005. Accessed 26 Dec. 2022.

Britannica kids. “More Economically Developed Countries.” Britannica Kids,

kids.britannica.com/students/article/more-economically-developed-
countries/604089. Accessed 3 Jan. 2023.

Brogaard, Line K., et al. “Evaluation of Life Cycle Inventory Data for Recycling Systems.”
Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 87, June 2014, pp. 30–45,
10.1016/j.resconrec.2014.03.011. Accessed 28 Mar. 2021.

Cambridge Dictionary. “LANDFILL | Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary.”

Dictionary.cambridge.org, 28 Dec. 2022,
dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/landfill. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

---. “Recycling.” @CambridgeWords, dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-

german/recycling. Accessed 26 Dec. 2022.

---. “Recycling.” @CambridgeWords, 21 Dec. 2022,

dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-german/recycling. Accessed 3 Jan. 2023.

---. “WASTE | Meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary.” Cambridge.org, 2019,

dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/waste. Accessed 3 Jan. 2023.

Center for Biological Diversity. “10 Facts about Single-Use Plastic Bags.”
Biologicaldiversity.org, 2018,
www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/sustainability/
plastic_bag_facts.html. Accessed 2 Jan. 2023.

Cho, Renee. “Recycling in the U.S. Is Broken. How Do We Fix It?” State of the Planet,
Columbia Climate School, 13 Mar. 2020, news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/03/13/fix-
recycling-america/. Accessed 3 Jan. 2023.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 16 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

Craighill, Amelia L., and Jane C. Powell. “Lifecycle Assessment and Economic
Evaluation of Recycling: A Case Study.” Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol.
17, no. 2, Aug. 1996, pp. 75–96, 10.1016/0921-3449(96)01105-6.

Dahlén, Lisa, and Anders Lagerkvist. “Evaluation of Recycling Programmes in

Household Waste Collection Systems.” Waste Management & Research, vol. 28, no.
7, 11 Sept. 2009, pp. 577–586, 10.1177/0734242x09341193. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

---. “Evaluation of Recycling Programmes in Household Waste Collection Systems.”

Waste Management & Research, vol. 28, no. 7, 11 Sept. 2009, pp. 577–586,
10.1177/0734242x09341193. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

Eldred, Sheila Mulrooney. “When Did Americans Start Recycling?” HISTORY, 14 Apr.
2020, www.history.com/news/recycling-history-america. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

Environment, U. N. “Legal Limits on Single-Use Plastics and Microplastics.” UNEP - UN

Environment Programme, 6 Dec. 2018, www.unep.org/resources/report/legal-limits-
single-use-plastics-and-microplastics.

“Environmental Science - Essay.” Www.essays24.com, Mar. 2017,

www.essays24.com/essay/Environmental-Science/75368.html. Accessed 2 Jan. 2023.

EU. Guide to European Union Practices on Waste Recycling Technologies. Sept. 2020.

EU ENVIRONMENT EC. “State and Federal Efforts to Revitalize Recycling.”

Www.ncsl.org, www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/state-
and-federal-efforts-to-revitalize-recycling.aspx. Accessed 2 Jan. 2023.

european comission. “Waste and Recycling.” Environment.ec.europa.eu,

environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling_en.

European Commission. “Waste and Recycling.” Environment.ec.europa.eu,

environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling_en.

Everett, Jess W., and J.Jeffrey Peirce. “Measuring the Success of Recycling Programs.”
Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 6, no. 4, Aug. 1992, pp. 355–370,
10.1016/0921-3449(92)90059-b. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

Garcia, Eduardo, and Kendra Pierre-Louis. “One Thing We Can Do: Fix Recycling.” The
New York Times, 15 Jan. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/01/15/climate/nyt-climate-
newsletter-recycling.html. Accessed 2 Jan. 2023.

GTP editing team. “Greece Aiming to Make Recycling Routine with 5 Reforms.” GTP
Headlines, 5 Nov. 2020, news.gtp.gr/2020/11/05/greece-aiming-to-make-recycling-
routine-with-5-reforms/. Accessed 8 Mar. 2023.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 17 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

Hintons. “History of Recycling [Timeline] | Who & When Invented Recycling?” Hinton’s
Waste, 25 Sept. 2018, www.hintonswaste.co.uk/news/history-of-recycling-
timeline/#tab-2. Accessed 3 Jan. 2023.

Kat Eschner. “How the 1970s Created Recycling as We Know It.” Smithsonian,
Smithsonian.com, 15 Nov. 2017, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-1970s-
created-recycling-we-know-it-180967179/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

Medina, Martin. “Global Recycling Supply Chains and Waste Picking in Developing
Countries.” UNU-WIDER, 18 Aug. 2015, www.wider.unu.edu/publication/global-
recycling-supply-chains-and-waste-picking-developing-countries. Accessed 4 Jan.
2023.

Nairobi Convention. “Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (the DEAT) –

South Africa | Nairobi Convention Clearinghouse Mechanism.”
Www.nairobiconvention.org, www.nairobiconvention.org/clearinghouse/node/358.
Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

Poku, Cornelia. “Recycling Has Flaws We Can’t Ignore | BIO.” Www.bio.org, 22 Oct.
2020, www.bio.org/blogs/recycling-has-flaws-we-cant-ignore. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

Reuters. “China to Ramp up Recycling, Incineration in New Plastic Pollution Push.”

Reuters, 15 Sept. 2021, www.reuters.com/world/china/china-ramp-up-recycling-
incineration-new-plastic-pollution-push-2021-09-15/.

Rinkesh. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Recycling - Conserve Energy Future.”

Conserve Energy Future, 6 July 2018, www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-
and-disadvantages-of-recycling.php. Accessed 3 Jan. 2023.

Schultz Hildreth, Jennifer and Kristen. “State and Federal Efforts to Revitalize
Recycling.” Www.ncsl.org, Nov. 2020, www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-
natural-resources/state-and-federal-efforts-to-revitalize-recycling.aspx. Accessed 3
Jan. 2023.

“South Africa - Department of Environmental Affairs - Green Cooling Initiative.”

Www.green-Cooling-Initiative.org, www.green-cooling-
initiative.org/network/member/south-africa-department-of-environmental-affairs.
Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

Stanford University. “Frequently Asked Questions: Benefits of Recycling | Land,

Buildings & Real Estate.” Stanford.edu, 2016, lbre.stanford.edu/pssistanford-
recycling/frequently-asked-questions/frequently-asked-questions-benefits-recycling.
Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 18 of 20

 Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

“The Mind-Boggling History of City Recycling (500BC - Present).” Recycle Coach, 17

June 2020, recyclecoach.com/resources/the-mind-boggling-history-of-city-recycling-
500bc-present/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

“These Countries Are the Best and Worst Recyclers in the World.” Global Citizen,
www.globalcitizen.org/fr/content/best-and-worst-recyclers-in-the-world/.

UN. “Zero Waste Challenge. 12. Responsible Consumption and Production |

Department of Economic and Social Affairs.” Sdgs.un.org,
sdgs.un.org/partnerships/zero-waste-challenge-12-responsible-consumption-and-
production. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

United Nations. “Goal 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns.”
United Nations Sustainable Development, United Nations, 2021,
www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-consumption-production/.
Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

US EPA. “The U.S. Recycling System.” Www.epa.gov, 17 Apr. 2019,

www.epa.gov/recyclingstrategy/us-recycling-system. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

US EPA, OMS. “Regulatory and Guidance Information by Topic: Waste.” US EPA, 10

Nov. 2014, www.epa.gov/regulatory-information-topic/regulatory-and-guidance-
information-topic-waste. Accessed 4 Jan. 2023.

US EPA,OSWER,ORCR. “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle | US EPA.” US EPA, 16 Nov. 2018,

www.epa.gov/recycle. Accessed 2 Jan. 2023.

What Is Organic Waste?

Yamakawa, Dr. Hajime. Title: The Packaging Recycling Act: The Application of EPR to
Packaging Policies in Japan Title of the EPR-Related Legislation: The Act on the
Promotion of Sorted Collection and Recycling of Containers and Packaging (“Packaging
Recycling Act”).

mosaic. “Is Recycling Worth It? Costs and Benefits of Recycling | RTS.” Recycle Track
Systems, 11 May 2021, www.rts.com/blog/is-recycling-worth-it/.

Global Waste Index 2022

msv2016. Greece – a Late Developer in Recycling. global-recycling.info/archives/2146.

davis, jon. “Recycling around the World Greece.” Recycling Bins, 4 July 2017,
www.recyclingbins.co.uk/blog/recycling-around-the-world-greece/. Accessed 8 Mar.
2023.

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 19 of 20

Pierce-The American College of Greece Model United Nations | 2023

ACGMUN Study Guide|Page 20 of 20