According to a report out Monday, industry claims of creating an efficient, circular economy as "fiction" as plastic recycling rates decline even as production increases.
The study found that of 51 million tons of plastic waste generated by US households in 2021, only 2.4 million tons were recycled, or around 5%.
Since China stopped taking the West's plastic waste, the trend has been decreasing.
Virgin production of non-recycled plastic is growing as the industry expands.
Industry groups and big corporations have been pushing for recycling as a solution.
They have shirked their responsibility for making sure that recycling works. Coca-Cola was one of the prime offenders.
Only two types of plastic are accepted at material recovery facilities in the United States.
The first is used in water and soda bottles and the second is used in milk jugs and cleaning product containers.
There are seven plastic types in this picture and they are numbered one and two.
It's not true that products are being recycled in practice.
The report found that the reprocessing rates of the two products were the same as in the last survey.
Children's toys, plastic bags, produce wrappings, yogurt and margarine tub, coffee cups, and to-go food containers were reprocessed at a rate of less than five percent.
Products that use plastic types "3" through "7" do not meet the Federal Trade Commission's classification of "recyclable".
The collected products are not being used in the manufacturing or assembly of new items due to the fact that recycling facilities for these types aren't available to a majority of the population.
There are five reasons why plastic recycling is a failure.
Plastic waste is generated in large quantities and is difficult to collect, as is clear during what the report called ineffective "volunteer cleanup stunts" funded by nonprofits such as " Keep America Beautiful."
The report said it would be difficult to sort the trillions of pieces of consumer plastic waste produced each year.
The recycling process is harmful to the environment and exposes workers to toxic chemicals.
It is possible for recycled plastic to become food grade material again if it is contaminated with other plastic types.
The cost of recycling is high.
It's cheaper to produce new plastic than it is to recycle it, according to the report.
Ramsden called on corporations to support the Global Plastic Treaty, which was created in February.
Coca-Cola used to get its drinks to people through the milkman. She said that they would drink their beverage and give the bottle back.
India recently banned 19 single use plastic items. Austria and Portugal both have goals of at least 30 percent reuse by the year 2030.
The country is moving to phase out single use utensils.
Agence France- Presse.
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