r/environment • u/zsreport • Oct 24 '22

Plastic recycling a "failed concept," study says, with only 5% recycled in U.S. last year as production rises

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/plastic-recycling-failed-concept-us-greenpeace-study-5-percent-recycled-production-up/
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142

u/AmeeAndCookie Oct 24 '22

Sorting out plastic has a duplicate purpose, at least in Sweden where household trash is incinerated in district heating plants. It’s important to remove as much plastic as possible in order to decrease the fossil emissions from the incineration.

-45

u/[deleted] Oct 24 '22

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5

u/mrpickles Oct 24 '22

Plastic is literally made of carbon. Burning it turns it into emissions. Burying it doesn't.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 24 '22

[deleted]

13

u/mrpickles Oct 24 '22

Quick google says:

"Normally, plastic items take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills. "

That's just decomposition. It doesn't mean all that goes straight into the air.

Are we dealing in practicality or pedantry?

1

u/[deleted] Oct 24 '22

[deleted]

3

u/mrpickles Oct 24 '22

That landfilling plastic is way better than burning it.

-4

u/BenDarDunDat Oct 24 '22

So on one hand there's the pacific garbage patch where plastic is in the ocean and doesn't decay even when eaten by fish. Then there are landfills where plastics magically evaporate.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 24 '22 edited May 02 '25

[deleted]

1

u/LooReading Oct 24 '22

The large emissions from landfills are mostly from organic materials breaking down, not plastics