In Norway, up to 97 percent of the country’s plastic bottles are recycled, and other countries are taking note. The government’s environmental taxes reward companies that are eco-friendly. If a company recycles more than 95 percent of its plastic, then its tax is dropped. Customers pay a deposit on each bottled product they buy. To get back their money, they must return their used bottles to one of the 3,700 machines found in the country’s supermarkets and convenience stores. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that if current global trends continue, plastic trash in the ocean will outweigh fish by 2050.

This article appears in the June 2019 issue of Natural Awakenings.