THE RECYCLING TRUTH
Recycling is broken.
Much of the plastic dropped in recycling bins isn’t actually recycled. In 2014, 22% of PET plastic collected for recycling was exported out of the United States. Plastic production surged from 15 million tons in 1964 to 311 tons in 2014 — an increase of more than 2,000%. Currently, more than 380 million tons of new plastic is produced annually, and less than 6% is recycled.
The poor quality of the plastic material introduced into the marketplace, lack of material consistency with viable end markets, lack of required post-consumer resin in new products, and subsidies for fossil fuel extraction are all factors that make virgin plastic production more economically feasible than plastics recycling.
WHY?
As oil prices fluctuate, so too does the price of plastic. When those markets are depressed, virgin plastic becomes far cheaper to buy than recycled plastic. Additionally, many plastic products degrade each time they’re processed — unlike metal or glass, which can be perpetually recycled— making them progressively less valuable.
Without a profitable market in which to sell it, it’s not cost-effective for many recycling companies to process plastic, so many sell it to other countries at a loss. In 2011, plastic trash was America's primary export to China. In 2018, China stopped all imports of waste from foreign countries and is now on track to beat U.S. sustainability goals by the end of this year.
In many countries in the global south, waste-pickers sort through the trash to find the pieces that are most valuable — thicker plastics and metals. The remainder becomes landfilled or incinerated, creating a health crisis for communities while local waterways act like conveyor belts, sending unwanted plastic straight out to sea.
8 MILLION METRIC TONS OF PLASTIC ENTER THE OCEAN EACH YEAR.
Where does it go? Most plastics are made from petroleum and built to last. In the ocean, sunlight and waves break down most plastics into small microplastics, which never truly biodegrade. 5 Gyres-led research found there is a plastic smog of 171 trillion plastic particles, weighing 2 million tonnes, floating in our oceans worldwide. Once in the water, microplastics can cause harm because of their physical and chemical effects. These pollutants can work their way up the food chain — and onto our plates.
Are “compostable” plastics better?
Not exactly. Yes, most are made from non-petroleum sources. But, many of these materials need a large composting facility to properly break down. Because PLA is hard to break down in many systems, some compost facilities consider it a contaminant. Only PHA (made from bacteria) is marine degradable — and only to a point: within six months, it degrades by 30% in warm, tropical waters. Read more on compostable plastics in our Better Alternatives 3.0 report.
The good news? New materials are being developed from natural sources that could eventually provide viable, biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastic. These include seaweed, methane, mushrooms, and even milk!
What can you do?
Learn what is and isn’t recyclable in your community. Hint: the chasing arrows symbol doesn’t mean an item is recyclable!
Reduce and reuse before recycling!
Refuse single-use plastics that are not generally accepted in curbside recycling programs, including plastic bags, plastic film, straws, black takeout containers, and takeaway cups.