I understood the belgian plastic recycling system is actually created by plastic and packaging companies. They had a problem: governement wanted them to deal with the waste, or they would receive regulation to force them. So they turned it into an opportunity: Consumers became responsible for the waste, not the industry. In fact they sell more plastic packaging for consumers to do the recycling, and call it good for the environment, how cynical can you get. On TV, their spokespeople sell the system as working great, and reusing bottles is somehow worse for everyone. They got the numbers to prove it.
I was aware the reduce and renew had been reduced to a whisper and largely forgotten (they reduce consumption after all, recycling is the only acceptable one in are consumption driven world) but I didn't realize some one had actually tried to twist things so they could vilify them.
