Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
We need the facts so that individuals and policy makers can take concrete action to replicate proven solutions to the U.S.’s plastic-waste and pollution problems across the country. These solutions include enacting bans on single-use plastic bags and unrecyclable single-use plastic food-service products, ensuring widespread access to water-refilling stations, installing dishwashing equipment in schools to allow students to eat food on real dishes rather than single-use plastics, and switching Meals on Wheels and other meal-delivery programs from disposables to reusable dishware.
Us Is Recycling Just 5% Of Its Plastic Waste, Studies Show
When most people toss a plastic bottle or cup into the recycling bin, they assume that means the plastic is recycled – but a new report lays bare how rarely that actually happens. According to the Last Beach Cleanup and Beyond Plastics, the organization behind the report released on Wednesday, the recycling rate for post-consumer plastic was just 5% to 6% in 2021.
The US Only Recycled About 5% Of Plastic Waste Last Year
A new report highlights recycling's failure to keep up with growing volumes of plastic trash.
Plastics Recycling ‘Does Not Work,’ Environmentalists Stress as U.S. Recycling Rates Drop to 5%
A new report shows that U.S. plastic recycling rates have declined from about 8.7% to between 5% and 6%, revealing the challenges and shortcomings of the country’s waste management infrastructure and policies.
Oil Company to Blame in Plastics Pollution
Supreme Court likely to limit abortion access; Oil company to blame in plastics pollution; Oakland rent control; Plus, it’s AAPI Heritage Month
Did Exxon Know About Plastics, Too?
California’s attorney general has announced an unprecedented investigation into the fossil fuel industry — not for its knowledge about climate change, but for its role in causing the global plastics pollution crisis.
California Attorney General Investigates the Oil and Gas Industry’s Role in Plastic Pollution, Subpoenas Exxon
The oil and gas industry has a new battle to fight with California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s first-of-its-kind investigation into their role in the global plastics crisis—and it looks a lot like one they’ve been fighting over climate change.
What to Know About Plastics and Our Health
Look around your home……plastic is everywhere. It’s in our furniture, clothing, cosmetics, cleaners, medicine and all kinds of household items. It’s on our food, lining cans, packaging our fruits, vegetables, chips, cereal, meat and more. We now know that tiny plastic particles can be found in our water, soil and air. We breathe in nano and micro particles, ingesting about 5 grams — or about credit card’s worth — of particles each week
Bottled Water Giant Bluetriton Admits Claims of Recycling and Sustainability Are “Puffery”
In ongoing litigation over the greenwashing of plastic recycling, the bottled water company BlueTriton made a revealing argument: its claims of being environmentally friendly aren’t violations of the law, because they are “aspirational.”
Microplastics Are in Our Bodies. How Much Do They Harm Us?
As plastic waste proliferates around the world, an essential question remains unanswered: What harm, if any, does it cause to human health?
Bill Nye and Coca-Cola Called Out for ‘Greenwashing’
Bill Nye and Coca-Cola are being called out for alleged ‘greenwashing’ in their recent partnership.
Reducing New York's Manufactured Waste
Beyond Plastics President Judith Enck discusses her environmental agenda for the remainder of the legislative session, including curtailing the use of plastic straws, updating the state's recycling deposit law and encouraging producers to reduce their waste.
States Awash in Plastic Packaging Want Manufacturers to Pay Up
Maine and Oregon have passed laws that force plastic producers to bear some costs of waste management, and Massachusetts and Colorado may be next.
Trash or Recycling? Why Plastic Keeps Us Guessing.
The universal symbol for recycling, known as the “chasing arrows” logo, is stamped on so many things. But that doesn’t mean they’re recyclable.
Coca-Cola And PepsiCo Ranked As World's Leading Plastic Polluters
WION | February 1, 2022 | Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been ranked as the world's leading plastic polluters for the fourth consecutive year.
How The Fossil Fuel Industry Is Pushing Plastics On The World
CNBC by Katie Brigham | January 29, 2022 | Why oil and gas companies are betting on plastic.
Plastics Group Recommends Phaseout Of Some Materials
C&EN by Alexander Tullo | January 28, 2022 | The US Plastics Pact—a collaboration between plastic-industry participants, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies—has released a list of 11 items its members aim to eliminate from packaging by 2025. Reviews from industry and environmental groups were mixed.
College Cafe Finds Workable Ways To Kick Plastic And Single-Use Packaging To The Curb
Food Management by Tara Fitzpatrick | January 28, 2022 | Down with disposables! Bennington College’s student-managed Roz’s Café makes a carbon footprint-sized dent in the typical packaging waste that goes on in a coffee shop.
Are Bottles Made From Sugar A Sweet Solution to the Plastic Crisis? Maybe.
green queen by Jill Ettinger | January 28, 2022 | In the effort to curb plastic waste, scientists from the U.K.’s University of Birmingham and Duke University say they’ve succeeded in turning elements found in sugar alcohols into what they claim is degradable and recyclable bioplastic.
Groups React To 'Problematic' Materials List
Plastics Recycling Update by Jared Paben | January 26, 2022 | The U.S. Plastics Pact says PS and PVC packaging and other materials should be phased out in coming years. A curbside recycling operator called the potential elimination of PVC and PS packaging “two really big steps in the right direction,” though several groups criticized the Pact’s work.