Plastic Recycling: Who's Kidding Whom?
The front end vs. back end of what we are actually recycling.
Photo Credit: Spooky Pooka / ConsumerReports.org
For the past 10 years, global environmental issues have been a headlining news topic. It seems that climate change, water pollution, toxic chemical waste and carbon dioxide emissions are always challenging our notion that we can move to a sustainable way of life with Mother Earth.
However, once a week when we wheel out our waste containers, knowing that we have done our part by reusing and recycling, we take comfort in the hope we can repeat this success in other areas and change human behavior.
Until last week, that was how we thought waste was being controlled. But then we saw a small article flash by our newsfeed entitled, “CMA CGM Plastic Ban Onboard Its Ships.” We remembered that this was one of the largest shipping container fleets in the world and wanted to research where the plastic, which we had been sending to be recycled, is going.
The results shocked us. Not only because of how this might affect plastic recycling in the future, but because of what is already happening today.
Wonder what percentage of the United States is recycling annually? Out of more than 46 million tons of plastic used every year, equivalent to 287 pounds per person, 8.7 percent recycles.
That’s right, 8.7 percent. And that volume figure is expected to double by 2050. WTF?
Why are we at the front of recycling all this plastic to only see 8.7 percent recycled and 16 percent incinerated into the atmosphere. Additionally, the incineration creates minor particle pollution and the rest mostly gets dumped at the same place your regular garbage does.
How could this be happening with all the efforts for change and countless recycle logos on plastic?
Well, after reading a consumer report from October 2021, we gained insight to a few issues why. The main one being that financial incentives just aren’t present. Except for PET plastic bottles, there is no charge to recycle other plastic materials, such as coffee cups.
It seems that we are doing all the front end work of recycling, but in the back end, it really doesn’t matter. So, how do we change this situation?
Probably with legislation that charges for the back-end cost of recycling or by creating a mandatory percentage companies have to recycle. Or at least tell consumers what percentage of their products are being recycled.
Well, that made my Earth Day thoughts a lot less hopeful.
P.S. On a more positive note, while looking over the many articles we gathered to write about, we saw a note of hope from March 29. That day will go down in history as the first day wind renewable power became the second leading form of power generation in the United States, exceeding coal and nuclear. Now let’s try to build more wind power and make it 360 days out of the year instead of just one.
For Further Information:
Here is the article talking about CMA GGM Group stopping the shipping of plastics to third world countries to be recycled.
Here are the two articles that breakdown the reality of plastic recycling in the United States today.
Lastly, here is the article of hope for us to keep working on helping Mother Earth stay sustainable!
Best,
Craig
Great article. Does this mean that most of the plastic in our recycling bins never gets recycled because recycling companies aren't paid for doing it? Ugh.