Climate change is becoming an increasingly important issue for many Americans across the country. Many people see recycling as the most direct way to make a change. In their everyday lives they use recyclable bags, recycle items, and compost. Yet not enough is done to increase recycling rates across the country as many recyclable products are thrown away each year. For example, roughly 59% of the waste can be recycled. This percentage is made up of paper, food scraps, and yard trimmings (Weeks, 2007). With the goal of increasing recycling and reducing waste, federal, state, and local governments offer their citizens both incentives for recycling, and penalties for failing to recycle or declining to comply with regulations. Much more can be
…show more content…
For example, in Alberta Canada, the government has allocated funding which provides free LED light bulbs, efficient showerheads, and other cost saving items (Bell, 2017). What makes this program unique is that the government is also subsidizing the entire cost of installations for the benefits. The second type of public policy is the reward. Rewards are direct incentives to the individual which work to increase or decrease a particular action. According to Stone, “the more rewards offered, the more likely the desired behavior change” (Stone, 2012). When researching this topic, I came across a very interesting recycling reward between McDonalds and Sweden. In Sweden, the government worked to increase recycling across the country by providing McDonalds for aluminum cans. 10 can would give an individual a cheeseburger, while 40 cans would provide an individual with a big mac (Williams, …show more content…
Sort of like traffic tickets, individuals can face penalties for failing to recycle or failing to recycle properly. Deborah Stone claims that “the more penalties threatened, the more likely the desired behavior change” (Stone, 2012). When individuals fail to recycle and litter, they may face a fine. In Washington State, there are five different tiers for littering. By releasing potentially dangerous litter, individuals face a $500 fine. By littering a quantity smaller than 1 cubic foot, the fine is $50. For an amount greater than a cubic foot but less than a cubic yard, the penalty is up to $1000 and 90 days in jail. The penalty drastically increases for amounts greater than a cubic yard. For this violation, the penalty is up to a $5000 fine and 365 days in jail (Litter Laws & Litter Tax). Penalties are a very effective way to alter the behavior of the masses. However, penalties such as fines and taxes are very often, if not always, seen in a negative light by the recipients of the
For example, in Alberta Canada, the government has allocated funding which provides free LED light bulbs, efficient showerheads, and other cost saving items (Bell, 2017). What makes this program unique is that the government is also subsidizing the entire cost of installations for the benefits. The second type of public policy is the reward. Rewards are direct incentives to the individual which work to increase or decrease a particular action. According to Stone, “the more rewards offered, the more likely the desired behavior change” (Stone, 2012). When researching this topic, I came across a very interesting recycling reward between McDonalds and Sweden. In Sweden, the government worked to increase recycling across the country by providing McDonalds for aluminum cans. 10 can would give an individual a cheeseburger, while 40 cans would provide an individual with a big mac (Williams, …show more content…
Sort of like traffic tickets, individuals can face penalties for failing to recycle or failing to recycle properly. Deborah Stone claims that “the more penalties threatened, the more likely the desired behavior change” (Stone, 2012). When individuals fail to recycle and litter, they may face a fine. In Washington State, there are five different tiers for littering. By releasing potentially dangerous litter, individuals face a $500 fine. By littering a quantity smaller than 1 cubic foot, the fine is $50. For an amount greater than a cubic foot but less than a cubic yard, the penalty is up to $1000 and 90 days in jail. The penalty drastically increases for amounts greater than a cubic yard. For this violation, the penalty is up to a $5000 fine and 365 days in jail (Litter Laws & Litter Tax). Penalties are a very effective way to alter the behavior of the masses. However, penalties such as fines and taxes are very often, if not always, seen in a negative light by the recipients of the