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Critical Response Essay Planner

Score _____/50

I. Introduction

Title of Reading: To Fix America’s Broken Recycling System States Want Companies to Foot
the Bill

Author: Alana Semuels

Publication date: February 26, 2020

Source: TIME

Author’s Claim: Only half of all packaging and paper products are recycled which should be
recycled and made easier to do.

Author’s Purpose: Inform the audience of solutions to solve this problem.

Intended Audience: People who would like to see their recycled waste be completely recycled
and achieve it in a much easier way with easier to recycle materials.

Summary (key points) of the article (use your own words; do not copy from the article):

There is very little an individual can do when trying to fix this broken recycling system.
Manufacturers need to act by making materials easier to recycle.

My overall thesis (response):

I believe that the United States’ problem should be fixed by making these big companies and
manufacturers make the recycling of their products much easier to do for the average consumer
who wants all their recyclables to be recycled.

Author’s worldview, biases, and assumptions:

The author Alana shows her audience how to live a more sustainable lifestyle. She may know a
lot of how her actions daily can affect the world around her.

My worldview, biases, and assumptions:

I’ve always known that one hundred percent of our recycled waste was most likely not going to
be recycled be it because it may have fallen out during the process or because of contaminants.
But one thing I never even knew is that possible half of that recycling that we recycle may have
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not been recycled at all which is very surprising to me. I would like this process to be fixed for
the sake of future generations and the general wellbeing of our planet’s ecosystems.

II. First Supporting Point:

The costs of the programs are too high to be able to maintain.

A. Detail(s) from article:

1. The cost of controlling these places that recycle has only gotten higher

since the consumers of recycled plastics demand less and less pollution.

2. Many more of these existing facilities are adding workers for sorting

which increases the cost for everything as more wages must be paid.

3. Some towns also do not have the amount of help or resources to be able to

spread the word to the public year-round on what things are recycled and what things

aren’t which would decrease the need of sorters.

Detail(s) from my own ideas, reasoning, and experiences

1. To be able to start making recycling much easier and prevent the loss of

high amounts of potential recyclables, the manufacturers must start making their

products with materials that are much easier to recycle in the first place.

2. If this solution doesn’t start from the manufacturers doing this, it would be

very difficult for the general public to make any environmental impact with

recycling.

3. If the manufacturers do start with doing this, the public would be able to

recycle much more of the materials they may have available instead of almost half of it

being put in a land fill.

C. Detail(s) from supplementary source (if applicable):

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III. Second Supporting Point:

The Producer Responsibility Organization would be of great help.

A. Detail(s) from article:

1. This organization would help in charging companies based on the weight

of the material or packaging; these fees would then be used for helping pay for

recycling.

2. Once these producers begin to pay for the cost of the recycling with fees, they’ll

begin to manufacture with materials that are much more easily recyclable.

3. This organization would really help in the process of achieving more easily

recyclable materials.

B. Detail(s) from my own ideas, reasoning, and experiences

1.

2.

3.

C. Detail(s) from supplementary source (if applicable):

IV. Third Supporting Point

Many different companies have opposed paying in many past occasions.

A. Detail(s) from article:
1.

2.

3.
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B. Detail(s) from my own ideas, reasoning, and experiences

1.

2.

3.

C. Detail from supplementary source (if applicable):

V. Conclusion (re-cap or reaffirm thesis, provide closure; no new information):

Additional Source(s):

The United States’ problem should be fixed by making these big companies and manufacturers make the
recycling of their products much easier to do for the average consumer who wants all their recyclables to
be recycled. There is very little an individual can do when trying to fix this broken recycling system.
Manufacturers need to act by making materials easier to recycle and finish this ongoing cycle.

Title of Article/Webpage:

Author:

Publication date:

Source:

What information will you use from this source?

How will you use this to support your Critical Response?