We could solve it overnight if every government agreed to tax single use plastic production and sale then use the funds to pay for recycling. Organizations like The Plastic Bank pay people in communities of high polluting regions to recycle plastic preventing it from entering waterways. It can be solved in many ways but sadly getting every country to agree on something like that is difficult.
So that actually sounds like a way we can’t solve it.
Ask for an certain percentag of recycled plastic in every new plastic product. Increase said percentage over time.
That's a good way increase the value. I believe now it's just not profitable to do all the sorting. Maybe it would become viable if everyone had to incorporate a portion of recycled plastic and there was this sudden demand.
I think maybe you mean plastic consumers.
In many places consumers do pay a recycling fee for plastic bottles.
It’s the same thing really, manufacturers would pass on the cost but as there are less of them it’s easier to administer.
The consumers should pay. Every piece of plastic should have a recycling cost, like they do in some states with bottles and cans.