Mastering the Art of Eco-Friendly Bliss: Unwrapping the Secrets to Cardboard Recycling

How to properly recycle cardboard

Myrtle Beach recycling

Recycling cardboard has a few simple rules, but of paramount importance. In South Carolina, the quantity of cardboard used each year has been multiplied by seven in forty years. This robust packaging is made of wood fibre: cellulose. It can therefore be easily recycled and recovered.

So there is no need for it to end up in the local landfills of Florida, or even worse, in our beautiful sea.

Instead the public must be made aware that this product is easily recyclable, and all residents of Myrtle Beach and the rest of Florida must take a step to recycle more of their old cardboards.

How and why to recycle cardboard

Committing to recycling is good. Doing it right is better! So let’s avoid send too much junk to the landfills of Florida.

How do we recycle cardboard

The cardboard recycling process begins at the recycling centre, where it is important to deposit it at the collection points specifically provided for this purpose. Once collected, it is sorted manually. It is treated to obtain a new paste in a specialized center. At the end of this two-step treatment — pulping and de-inking — the paste obtained makes it possible to recreate cardboard. After passing through the paper machine, it is packaged in reels to be used again.

How to value cardboard

After recycling, the material obtained is called “recovered cellulosic fiber”. It can be used in different ways. In particular, it is reused to make packaging: traditional packaging boxes, shoe boxes, egg cartons, milk cartons, etc. It can also be used to design furniture and decorative objects.

What kind of cardboard can’t be recycled

Soiled cardboard cannot be recycled, especially when stained with oil. Moisture is another major enemy of cardboard recycling, as it damages the cellulose fibres. Soiled or damp cardboard should not be in the packaging sorting bin. These boxes can however be deposited at the recycling center.

What happens to soiled or excessively damaged boxes

Whether it is soiled or has reached the end of its cycle because its fibers are too damaged, cardboard that can no longer be recycled is not buried. Indeed, when material recovery is impossible, the boxes are intended for energy recovery. They are directed to an incineration plant by dumpter rentals to be burned and produce thermal energy that can be used to produce heat or electricity.

Are cardboard food packaging recyclable

Food cartons bearing the Tetra Pak logo are recyclable. Indeed, if they are made of several materials, in particular aluminum, these are separated from each other during the sorting stage. Recently, pizza boxes can also be recycled. This food packaging can be placed in the selective sorting bin – provided, however, that they are emptied of all food waste.

Where and how to dispose of your used boxes

The packaging boxes must be thrown away in selective sorting containers or directly at the recycling centre, which has a collection point specifically dedicated to this use. They must not contain any plastic or food waste. Avoid cutting your cardboard into pieces, as this damages its fibers. Cardboard can be recycled eight to ten times. Beyond that, its fibers are too damaged.

Is cardboard compostable

Cardboard (and paper) can be composted: this is called biological recovery. If you want to compost your waste, just make sure that it is not colored, and that it has not been in contact with toxic materials, such as waste oil or cleaning product. Before putting the cardboard in the compost, remember to moisten it well: this promotes better decomposition. To maintain a well-balanced compost, alternate with a layer of green waste.

The cost of renting a dumpster in Myrtle Beach, SC

Let’s all help the environment! Sometimes it it possible to rent a dumpster to discard a large quantity of cardboard all at once. Depending if it is recyclable or not, it can be sent to the nearest recycling facility.

The cost of renting a dumpster in Myrtle Beach can vary based on several factors. Typically, the price is influenced by the size of the dumpster, the duration of the rental, the type of waste being disposed of, and the specific rental company chosen.

For smaller dumpsters, such as 10 or 15 cubic yards, you might expect to pay around $200 to $400 for a short-term rental. These sizes are suitable for small-scale cleanouts or renovation projects. If you require a larger dumpster, like a 30 or 40 cubic yard option, the cost could range from $400 to $800 or more. These larger dumpsters are ideal for larger construction projects or significant cleanout tasks.

Additionally, the type of waste being disposed of can impact the price. General household debris might come with a standard rate, while hazardous materials or electronics disposal could incur extra fees due to special handling requirements.

It’s crucial to obtain quotes from multiple rental companies in Myrtle Beach to find the best deal (check this website for affordable dumpster rentals). Prices might also fluctuate based on seasonal demand and availability. While cost is an important consideration, it’s equally important to choose a reputable rental provider with good customer service, reliable delivery and pickup times, and transparent pricing to ensure a smooth dumpster rental experience.…

Landfills in Florida

Pensacola landfill

Did you know that Florida has the country’s second-highest garbage production?

Only New York generates more garbage than Florida. The factors include the fact that Florida is a fast developing territory and a tourism-based state.

As a result, several people have proposed alternative solutions to find a more ecologically acceptable solution for landfills in Florida. Among them are:

  1. Composting
  2. A more active recycling program
  3. The generation of energy from rubbish
  4. The creation of new things from waste

Florida generates a significant amount of rubbish each year, which must be properly disposed of. Businesses generate the great majority of this waste.

Most of the state’s businesses are in the tourism, leisure, and retail industries. Furthermore, they all generate a lot of waste. Landfills are widely used to dispose of non-valuable waste products. However, landfills are not the most efficient way to dispose of rubbish, and they may be extremely expensive and hazardous to the environment.

The problem with Florida landfills

There are various landfills around Florida, but the main problem is that the property is not being used efficiently. When a landfill is full, it is closed and covered with sand or dirt.

Florida is a massive state with numerous acres of land and beautiful beaches. It would be significantly better for the environment and the business community to use the area for commerce or tourism.

The state might put several landfills in Florida to a different use. As an example, consider the St. Lucie County landfill. The county may turn the region into a commercial district with hotels, restaurants, and shops. This would help both the economy and the state of Florida.

Why are landfills so important to us

Although it is difficult to remember, humans once lived in a world without landfills. In the 1950s, the average American produced less than a ton of garbage each year. The average American now creates more than 4 tons of garbage every year.

That’s a lot of crap!

So, what happens to all of this? It is mostly discarded in landfills. Landfills are where garbage, trash, and waste are disposed of. They offer a simple and cost-effective solution to the problem of rubbish disposal.

A few landfills in Florida

There are various landfills in Florida, some of which are new or are actively under development. Florida has three main landfills: Brandon Landfill, Dump Road Landfill, and Pine Island Landfill.

West Broward Landfill is located in the Florida city of Hollywood. It opened in 1984 and held 1.3 million cubic yards of rubbish. The City of Hollywood owns this landfill.

Brandon Landfill is in the city of Brandon in Florida. It was first broadcast in 1991. About 1.5 million cubic yards of trash can fit inside. The City of Brandon owns this landfill.

The West Broward Landfill is located in the Florida city of Weston. It first aired in 1987. It has a capacity of 1.8 million cubic yards of waste. The City of Weston owns this landfill.

What can be done to reduce the number of landfills

Consumption of goods and services rises in tandem with population growth. Waste and garbage are also generated due to the consumption of goods and services.

On a worldwide basis, waste disposal is a major concern. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 9.5 million tons of garbage are created daily in the United States alone.

That is a substantial amount of junk and trash. The good news is that even little changes may drastically reduce landfills. When you create less rubbish daily, your carbon impact is reduced.

Why is hiring a dumpster in Florida the best solution for landfills

You can help the environment and save money by following a few simple steps. With the help of a dumpster rental company such as Bargain Dumpster, you may avoid Florida’s landfills and reduce the rubbish problem.

Today, environmental waste is a major concern. The problem has been brought to our notice, as have the potentially terrible consequences for the world. Such environmental damage has disastrous consequences. However, if we begin working on a solution today, the world will be a better place in the future.

How can rubbish be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way

In today’s society, waste is a major problem. It is unnecessary, and a large amount of it winds up in landfills rather than being recycled. Many people don’t believe they can make a difference, yet we can all make a difference if we all take a little more time to dispose of our rubbish properly.

Helping with recycling

Some dumpster rental companies may separate the rubbish into numerous piles to help with recycling. Even if a dumpster rental company does not offer this service, they may be able to help you with recycling.

Because you will have a distinct space for waste, you may choose to keep recyclables in a different container. Dumpster rental services become more ecologically friendly by allowing you to sort and recycle materials.

Furthermore, numerous businesses have agreed to recycle a certain amount of their waste. Instead of hauling everything out of the dumpster and dumping it, they may recycle some of it, filter the waste before throwing it away, or even supply you with a separate bin for recycling.

Lowering car emissions

You will need gasoline if you have to drive all of your trash to the dump. If you have a lot of trash and need to take it to the dump more than once, you will use more gas and emit more pollutants into the air.

Even the smallest leased dumpster may hold three full loads of garbage. If a small dumpster is filled, only one trip to the landfill is necessary. To dispose of the same quantity of trash in your automobile, you must make three journeys.

The reduction in emissions is significantly greater with larger dumpsters. There will be multiple trips to and from the landfill because huge dumpsters may hold up to 12 truckloads of rubbish.…

Getting waste management back on track

waste management centerGetting waste sorting back on track is a deconfinement issue.

The health crisis has severely slowed down activity in the waste management and dumpster rental sector. Some fear that the new ambitions in terms of sorting and recycling will be rejected.

With the resumption of economic activity, the amount of waste to be sorted is increasing again.

The health crisis linked to the coronavirus, with the country’s virtual paralysis until gradual deconfinement caused a collateral victim: the waste sector. Closed sorting centers, sharply increasing illegal dumps, waste reception centers largely inaccessible to the public, more numerous incinerations and landfills, the list of issues is long.

The trend today is for improvement

If many sorting centers, or 40% of the park, were closed since last year, 90% of the processing capacities were operational again this month. Of the hundreds of sorting centers listed nationwide according to a company responsible for organizing the end of life of packaging and paper for 28,000 companies, many of them had resumed or confirmed the continuity of their activity. There are only few sorting centers left because of the health crisis, in the Mid-west and california regions remaining the most affected.

The closure of these centers was explained by the need to ensure the protection of employees.

The obligation was to respect barrier gestures and distancing, which was done, and many sorting centers, less modern, could not provide this security to employees, according to the Health Secretary of State. Ecological and inclusive transition, in particular responsible for the circular economy, are paramount in this regard. There was also much less flow, with a drop of 25% for household waste, 50% for small business waste, to minus 80% for construction.

Appeal for the donation system

The closure of almost all the resource centers also led to a drastic drop in voluntary contributions of textiles and a sharp slowdown in this activity.

This is an important issue for the social and solidarity economy and we can see the impacts that this has, with, for example, the call for donations from the local communities (launched in February, this is the first time in its story that the donation system created in 1949, says it is in danger), forced to close since the start of confinement.

In fact, the closure of restaurants, cafes and a large number of businesses explains this drop in input to sorting centers.

With the resumption of economic activity, the amount of waste to be sorted is increasing again.

The contraction was very strong at the industrial level, with – 65% as of the announcement of containment, in mid-March. Then after stabilization, today we are only at – 25% of waste collected.

But it is true that with the health emergency, companies have made less effort to respect the different flows and sort, according to companies that manage household waste for millions of residents over the nation, like Jackson MS dumpster rentals or CA waste management and recycling contractors.…

Dreaming of Fish

Fish symbolize some contents that live in our unconscious. They are fluid and related to water and therefore are images of our feelings and emotions.

Let’s talk about the interpretation of the dream of fish.

Fish have a sacred dimension, they represent the gifts that life can bring us. Fish symbolize the arrival of positive things in our existence, such as the arrival of a desired child or the resolution of a problem. Fish are a symbol of fertility, both in a concrete area and in an area related to the spirit.

Fish express the intuition of the dreamer. They are indicative of the future. Like the dream of a rat or a mouse, They carry within them the events that are brewing in the shadows and will happen very soon. The fish act as a guide, they lead the dreamer or dreamer towards paths conducive to their personal achievement.

I swim with fish around me

The dreamer will experience a positive evolution in their existence. They are moving in the right direction to achieve a happy result.

You can continue to live your life in the same way as before. The unconscious supports you in your current approach. Trust yourself, what you do is good.

We are eating and get served a beautiful fish

Here it is about consuming an element that brings intuition and feeling. The dream encourages the dreamer to listen to these sensitive aspects more and to adapt their way of being to live in a more relational way. The fish to eat together is a picture of sharing with others.

You have to listen to your sensitive and emotional pole and turn more to others. This dream is a call to exchange and contact with others. Be more open to dialogue.

Sitting under a tree a man brings a basket of fish

The dreamer will receive good news, such as the birth of a child in their family or passing an exam. What looks like this is pleasant and peaceful.

You can rest easy because the near future brings peace and kindness to you. This dream brings you a feeling of serenity and reconciles you with yourself and your loved ones.

Seeing dead fish in your aquarium

Certain feelings within the dreamer are repressed and fail to express themselves properly. The dreamer does not let their intuitions and their emotions live long enough. They are too rational and rigid.

You must be aware of the too closed side in you which prevents you from letting you live some of your deep feelings. It would be better for you to accept your emotions instead of refusing them.

It is raining fish

What falls from the sky is a picture of what the dreamer’s mind hopes for and expects from the future. Here is a picture of hope of good things coming.

You hope for better days. You can regain confidence in the future and think that life can bring you good things.

Fish in the pool become children playing in the water

The context of the dream: the dreamer lives a professional situation where the competition is fierce. It weighs on him at times.

The dreamer pushes himself to act energetically and sportily but it is possible that he lives in a different mode. Its sensitive pole gives it an image of how precisely this sensitivity, represented by the woman who throws the fish, can be transformed into a creative pole, the children who play. His feeling is a source of surprise.

The dreamer could approach his life and especially his professional life in a more playful and more creative way. Because he leaves too much aside his inventive capacities and his sensitivity in his way of being at work and certainly in general in his life.

His mind could integrate his creative and intuitive abilities. This will be a source of good surprise because these capacities are likely to transform certain difficult situations into more pleasant and lighter moments. The dreamer uses too much of his will and not enough of his intuition. Now is a good time to change this.…

The Plastic Industry Faces Unprecedented Pressure

Global plastic production has tripled in 25 years and growth is not slowing. But increasing pressure from NGOs and public opinion is forcing the sector to question itself.

The production of recycled plastics, still in its infancy, is taking off. The contrast is striking. On the one hand, images of oceans polluted by plastic waste make the front page of the media, put forward by environmental protection associations and repeated on social networks, raising awareness even more public. On the other hand, global production of plastics continues to grow: + 4.5% per year on average since 1990, according to figures from PlasticsEurope, which defends the interests of the sector. The planet consumes three times more plastic than 25 years ago, 200 times more than in 1950.

And it’s not over. Today, an African or an Indian uses an average of 4 kg of plastic per year, compared to 60 or even 80 kg for a European or an American, estimates the International Energy Agency (IEA). The growth potential in emerging countries is enormous.

Plastic is rather dramatic for the oceans. Following current trends, global production of the main resins from which plastics are produced (polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polystyrenes, PVC, etc.) is set to increase further by 70% by 2050. Total and Aramco’s major ambitions in the petrochemical industry. Except that this scenario of sustained growth appears increasingly fragile in the face of the serious problems it would pose for the environment, starting with the management of packaging waste.

Packaging is not the only outlet for the sector, but it is by far the first, absorbing almost 40% of production. For 18 months, there has been a real awareness of the plastic industry. The environmental issue has become the number one challenge, an existential threat for producers. We no longer say that the problem of pollution does not concern us. Pressure from large customers.

The pressure came from customers, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Danone and others, who themselves are trying to respond to the growing pressure from consumers. The industry has remained confident for a long time but we can sense that it is starting to worry, believe activists at Greenpeace. From the American Dow to the German BASF via LyondellBasell, Ineos and Total, all the major producers of plastic resins are looking for a solution, even if growth is still there for the moment.

The bans have limited impact. The most concrete change concerns immediately the rapid disappearance of plastic bags in many countries and the ban on single-use products (straws, plates and cutlery, cotton swabs, etc.) which is looming in Europe and elsewhere. These bans would only affect 3 to 4% of global demand for plastic though. But if the pressure increases further and recycling is growing strongly, there would be enough to potentially halve the annual growth of the plastics sector.

Industrialists have for a while mobilized their lobbies to counter these prohibitions. But today, they are mainly trying to find solutions. This starts with the fight against pollution. In January, around twenty multinationals launched the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. It includes large producers of plastics such as Total, but also companies consuming packaging such as Procter & Gamble or Henkel, as well as players in waste management such as Suez, Veolia and Dumpster Rental King.
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They promised to spend at least $ 1 billion over five years to fund collection, recycling or cleaning projects in emerging countries. The mounting pressure also encourages them to change their production processes. Consumer brands are increasingly asking for recycled plastics, made from industrial or household waste, for their packaging. Like BASF and others, the French group is betting on the development of chemical recycling at very high temperatures, now in its infancy, which would increase the rate of reuse of plastics. Finally, some are betting on bioplastics: Total has opened a production unit for bioplastics from sugar cane in Thailand. Volumes remain miniscule on the global plastics market, but the trend is there. The sector is aware that the pressure is not about to ease.

At just over 6 am in this Baltic winter, it is of course still dark. The ferry from Rostock has just docked at Gedser, the southernmost port in the Danish archipelago. It landed a truck trailer full of goods and German border crossers. Not far away the Danish energy company Orsted, founded 50 years ago to exploit oil and gas, made a spectacular pivot towards renewables in 2008. To the point of becoming the world leader in offshore wind power and earning the title of the most sustainable company in the world.

The park at Nysted, 13 km from the Danish coast, has 72 turbines. It was one of the first built by Orsted in 2003. At the time, this wind farm was one of the largest in the world. Wind turbines at sea are amazing. In the vast workshop, welders in white helmets and blue coveralls work on huge sheet metal plates. The panels are intended for the manufacture of ocean liners. In the depths of the wave of 2009, the shipbuilder embarked on offshore wind power to diversify its revenues. A market of the future, with strong regional spin-offs, at a time when the nationalized company has to change its main shareholder.

French shipyards have already sold three electrical substations abroad, including the one delivered to E.On and Statoil for the Arkona wind farm in the German Baltic Sea. This should be seen as normal, but Legrand will soon be an exception among CAC40 companies. The French group, specializing in products and services for electrical infrastructure, is preparing to appoint Angeles Garcia-Poveda as chairman of its board of directors.

Angeles Garcia-Poveda has sat on the board of directors of the French group for eight years. She will replace the current president, Gilles Schnepp, in early July. Angeles Garcia-Proveda will chair Legrand’s board of directors. The economic growth that the world has experienced since the Second World War would not have been …

Best Ways To Recycle Efficiently

recycling tipsHow to recycle more effectively your waste materials?

The first step is to recycle plastic bags separately. The second step is to try not to shred paper. The next step is to compress bottles and put the lid back on. The fourth step is to keep cardboard and your other recyclables clean. The last step is to read your local recycling guide.

Recycling in and around the home can be easy when you know how. By thinking carefully about what products you buy at the supermarket and how to recycle them is the first step towards efficient recycling.

How to sort and recycle household waste more efficiently is a great question and we should take pride in our sustainability record. We should all operate our very own council-approved waste processing facility, which is should follow the Department of Environment guidelines.

The truth is, improper recycling habits are just as bad as not having any recycling habits at all. One non-recyclable item placed in a recycling bin can spoil an entire batch of otherwise recyclable materials. If you ever reach a moment of confusion at a recycling bin, remember these three things: food and liquids cannot be in recycling.

Here are three ways to recycle efficiently. Different facilities accept different items in their recycling program, so get in the know before you get started! Without knowing the items listed below, you may be costing facilities time and money as they make up for your negligence.

Cardboard is one of the easiest materials in the world to recycle. Here are some tips for recycling cardboard in the most efficient way possible. Keep it dry: once cardboard gets wet or saturated, it becomes extremely difficult, if not altogether impossible, to recycle, so try to keep it as dry as possible.

Recycling is the primary energy efficiency technology for aluminum and steel manufacturing according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration and the Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey. The production of iron, steel, and aluminum is a highly energy-intensive process, accounting for 10% of total manufacturing energy use.

Aluminum and steel recycle very efficiently, which is why scrap collectors will pay real money for them. Copper too. Paper recycling is not nearly as efficient, but it may save some trees. Cardboard (rough paper with long fibers) is the best to recycle whilst newspaper is the worst because its fibers are already close to mush. Plastics vary greatly. According to a Pensacola dumpster rental service company, people do not realize how much they could recycle instead of sending all their junk to the landfill.

Resource efficiency promotes the reduction of waste, the reuse of materials, and recycling. Simply put, resource efficiency is about obtaining the maximum benefit from every resource. In this post we covered the best practices to improve operations and create an organizational culture that values resource efficiency and outruns competitors.

Plastic recycling has become more advanced in recent years and is always becoming more efficient. Fortunately, a lot of plastic can be remade into new products. Plastic waste recycling reduces our need for more fossil fuels, saves energy, landfill space, and emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Deciding to recycle items is just the first step for responsible citizens, you also want to make sure the items are recycled correctly. Some common recyclables are easier than other, with the best options to recycle them. Paper makes up over 25 percent of municipal solid waste (trash) generated each year, more than any other product.…

The French Political System

France’s government has gone through many different changes and it is currently on its fifth Republic. The nation has declared itself to be indivisible, secular and democratic. The constitution of the country provides for a separation of powers, and gives all rights of man and national sovereignty as defined in the Declaration of 1789.

Today, the government of France is divided into an executive, legislative and judicial branch. The presidents of France shares their power with the Prime Minister, which they appoint. The cabinet, as well as the president, can be revoked by National Assembly, which is the lower house of Parliament. This is done through a censure motion that ensures the prime minister is always supported by the majority of the lower house.

The French parliament is made up of the National Assembly and the Senate. The parliament makes votes on the budget, it controls the action of the executive and it passes statutes. The statutes are then checked by the Constitutional Council, whose members are appointed by the president. These statutes must go along with the constitution in order to be passed.

Members for the council are also appointed by the president of the national assembly and the president of the senate. Interestingly enough, past presidents of France can actually be members of this council.

The judiciary system of France is based on civil law, which came from the Napoleonic codes. The judiciary branch of the government is divided into the judicial branch and the administrative branch. Each of these also have their own Supreme Court that is independent. The French government also includes various bodies that are meant to check for any abuses of powers by the government or its members, as well as any problems with independent agencies.

France is considered to be a unitary state. This means it is a state that is governed by one unit of central government that is supreme and handles all administrative divisions. The majority of countries in the world are unitary states. The United States by contrast is considered to be a federal state, in which power is shared by the federal government and the U.S. states.

In regards to the president, he or she must obtain power through a nationwide majority of non-blank votes on the first or second round of balloting. This ensures that the president is supported by over half of the voting population of France. The president is the top figure within French politics but they can be dismissed. The president also appoints the ministers, secretaries and ministers-delegate. If the political party of the president has control of parliament, the president is considered to be the dominant player in the government.

If the president’s opponents control the parliament, the president will see his dominance heavily limited since he or she must choose a prime minister and cabinet that reflects the parliamentary majority. When this happens, it is known as cohabitation and it has been quite common in French politics up until 2002.

This changed when the term of the president was previously seven years and is now five years. The terms in the National Assembly have always been five years. Now, elections are separated by only a few months. Currently, Francois Hollande is president of France, succeeding Nicolas Sarkozy, who took over from Jacques Chirac.

In the legislative branch of the government, parliament meets for one nine-month session each year. While the power of the branch has been lessened under the Fifth Republic, the National Assembly can still cause a government to fall but this has not happened since 1958. The cabinet of the legislative branch has a huge influence though in the agenda of the parliament. As well, members of parliament also have parliamentary immunity. This makes the members immune from most prosecutions. In order to prosecute, the immunity must be removed either by the Supreme Court or by the parliament itself.

The National Assembly in the legislative branch, is the principal body with 577 deputies elected every five years in local majority votes. All seats are voted in an election. Currently, the Socialist Party controls the majority of the seats in the National Assembly.

In the senate, senators are chosen by an electoral college of 145,000 local elected officials for five terms. Roughly 33 per cent of the Senate is renewed every three years. Currently, there are 321 senators, down from 346 in 2010. The legislative powers of the senate are limited since the National Assembly has the last word in disagreements between the two bodies of the legislative branch. …

What is happening with France

France is in decline! Or so it seems

This is a natural consequence of the demographic equation. As French population in relation to the world population slowly decreases while its GDP growth is around or slightly above zero, so does it commercial, economic and finally political weight decrease. Meanwhile large countries like India, China or Brazil have both population growth and strong GDP growth. Hence they become more and more prominent economically and ultimately politically.

But both the French people and the political class seem to be unaware of this simple equation leading to the slow but inevitable decline of France on the international scene. They still act as if France was a great nation as at the time of Louis the 14th or Napoleon Bonaparte. More worryingly they do not seem to realize that if they do not get their act together and try to reform and improve French competitiveness in key markets, this decline will be faster and more pronounced.

French is now the 5th largest country by GDP. Of course the USA is still the number one with a large margin over number two China. Next are Japan and Germany and the top 4 are not expected to change in the foreseeable future given the large difference in their GDP. But what France should be concerned about is the countries just behind it. The UK has more growth then France and it is close to surpassing it. Brazil currently number 6 and India number 9 are certain to surpass France soon given their rapid growth.

One more disadvantage France has against these rising nations is that they are not plagued with a long tradition of social welfare. We know that the communist system as envisioned by Lenin or Mao Zedong does not work as shown by history. Likewise a socialist system with generous unemployment and retirement benefits is not sustainable when competing with more aggressive countries. China, India or Brazil do not provide this kind of protection to their workers. So yes life is a little tougher for their people, but it is much easier for companies which are not burdened by labor laws and costs like the French do. And the workers themselves do not get lazy, which is good for the economy.

Because this is an old tradition in France, every class of workers has its privileges and they all go to the street at the first sign that the Government is considering removing some of these privileges. For example some Government employees can retire at 55 if not earlier. Note that France is a so-called etatist system with a very large involvement of the Government in many aspects of society. And they have about 5.5 millions government employees. All these people retiring earlier with large benefits must be paid by everyone else. With live expectancy reaching 85 years for women and 78 years for men, this is an immense cost for the economy.

No wonder taxes keep on rising for the past few decades. Such trend has recently reached a climax, leading to a flow of persons and companies leaving France for a better place like the UK or the USA. That`s why people say that London is one of the largest French cities, with over 400,000 French people living in the British capital.

So will France wake up to the challenge and change its outdated ways of managing the economy and work force. Only time will tell, but it seems it will get worse before it gets better.…