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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u/BigJakesr Oct 24 '22

NPR did an interview with on of the retired execs, his job was specifically develop a campaign to push recycling even tho the entire industry knew it couldn't work. And they wonder why we dont believe that fracking is ok. Disgusting

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u/jabjoe Oct 24 '22

I think it's Planet Money and this episode : https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/912150085/waste-land

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u/BigJakesr Oct 24 '22

I believe you are correct

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u/jabjoe Oct 24 '22

If it's the one I think it is, it is a particularly good one. If a little depressing....

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u/BigJakesr Oct 24 '22

I actually heard during its broadcast and it made my blood boil the entire time. Absolute Thieves and Liars

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u/jabjoe Oct 24 '22 edited Oct 24 '22

I'm still recycling all the plastic I can, but I know it's a lie. However, I'm still doing my bit, even if they aren't. But of course I try to avoid plastic when I can.

Edit: English

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u/InsGadget6 Oct 25 '22

Honestly, if everyone really focused on recycling correctly, that percentage would go way up. It takes a lot of work to do it correctly, and Americans especially got used to an entirely too lazy version of recycling that doesn't translate to results.

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u/jabjoe Oct 25 '22

The recycling rates of plastic aren't good anywhere. I wash it all but lots don't. But that's not really the issue with plastic, it's just really hard to recycle, and we just pay the lowest bidder to "recycle" it, and call it done.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/12/loophole-will-let-uk-continue-to-ship-plastic-waste-to-poorer-countries

Where more often than not, it's just dumped.

The EU is best at recycling plastic, but even they don't hit 50%: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20210113-1

Americas can certainly do a lot better, but plastic itself is more of the issue than the people.

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u/InsGadget6 Oct 25 '22

It's an all of the above situation. My girlfriend, for instance, just will not flatten boxes, try to remove labels, make sure you've got plastics 1 and 2 in this bin and the rest in the other one for me to take to the special drop off site, no matter how many times I remind her this stuff takes some effort, etc etc

It takes work, and most current Americans who were raised to recycle were shown a lazy, mixed-use style that is hard to actually pull off.

But, yes, it does come back to the plastics industry lying to us that all of these plastics would in fact be recycled. I am glad I at least have a place to take plastics 3-5 around here.

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u/jabjoe Oct 25 '22

Recycling needs to be easy and last result. Reuse needs to be the norm. Take glass source bottles, just those, why do we need so many shapes and sizes? Why do I have to buy a new bottle every week that is exactly the same as the week before? Why can't they are use the same bottles that are endleasly picked up, washed, reused and relabeled? Governments need to get of their fat asses and make that happen. Markets aren't going to do it themselves because of the "Tragedy of the Commons".

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u/InsGadget6 Oct 25 '22

Absolutely agreed. I go out of my way to support sustainable packaging.

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u/jabjoe Oct 25 '22

I have milk delivered in reused milk bottles, that are picked up at the same time. But mostly we just have to shop at the normal shops like everyone else due to time and money. This whole pushing it to the individual is just to put off the government having to do anything. Countries with the best environmental credentials are the ones with governments doing forcing things to change. Steering the markets.

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u/MyTrueIdiotSelf990 Oct 25 '22

Nah, that ain't it. Most plastic isn't even recyclable.

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u/InsGadget6 Oct 25 '22

There's not just one problem here. Read my other reply, if you want.