The cost of recycling has gone up a large amount since China, the country that most nations send their recycling to, has stopped accepting important garbage. There are few alternatives because recycled plastic is less pure and valuable than non-recycled plastic, making recycling hard to do and make profit. There are some ways that this issue can be solved, however. Both Germany and Sweden have very progressive policies around recycling. The German government sponsors and promotes policies that make packaging out of “bio-based materials”. Both Germany and Sweden have lots of education about the environment and recycling, another policy the United States can and should follow.