After Overshadowing Climate Talks, the Myth of ‘Circularity’ Looms Over the UN Plastics Treaty
Delegates from 191 countries meet once again this month for the UN plastics treaty talks in Ottawa, and they need to avoid falling into industry traps that will hinder real progress. Dow chair and CEO Jim Fitterling’s recent Commentary in Fortune is a perfect example of how to ensure failure in Ottawa. If delegates commit to the priorities he outlined, they will fail to implement real solutions to the growing problem caused by his company and companies like it.
McKibben, Environmentalists Suggest How to Defeat Plastic Waste
According to a joint study done in May of 2022 by Beyond Plastics –a Bennington College environmental group, and The Last Beach Cleanup – a California-based nonprofit, 94-95 percent of plastics are not recycled. Environmental writer Bill McKibben, Beyond Plastics founder Judith Enck, and writer Eve O. Schaub delivered other unpleasant truths in a roundtable discussion at the Southern Vermont Arts Center on Sunday. Despite the dire prognosis for the environment, the discussion – moderated with aplomb by Joe Donahue of WAMC/Northeast Public Radio – delivered the news with energizing good humor.
Where Does All Your Recycling Wind Up?
Ever wonder what actually happens to all the plastic you dutifully toss in the recycling bin? Kit Chellel, an investigative reporter for Bloomberg, set out to answer that very question. And what he found out is…well we’re not gonna give it away.
Inside the Industry Push to Label Your Yogurt Cup ‘Recyclable’
A network of groups backed by the plastics industry claims polypropylene containers are “widely recyclable,” despite ample evidence to the contrary.
Single-Use Plastic Is Wreaking Havoc on the Planet. Here’s What You Can Do to Minimize Your Impact.
Plastics do not break down once they're thrown into nature. And, alarmingly, only around 9% plastic in the US is actually recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency — even the stuff you specifically threw into the recycle bin. What you might not realize is this isn't just a pollution problem. It's a climate problem. And by the time we start talking about recycling, the damage is already done.
Why Plastic Is Building Up at Recycling Centers and Catching Fire.
Recycling plants are amassing millions of tons of plastic bottles, the Environmental Protection Agency says, with some becoming part of a growing problem of toxic fires at these plants, according to data provided by environmental advocates. Critics say beverage companies should be doing more to make their products more recyclable.
A Houston Firm Says It’s Opening a Billion-Dollar Chemical Recycling Plant in a Small Pennsylvania Town. How Does It Work?
Gov. Wolf touted jobs and less plastic pollution when the plans were announced in April, but a professor from Carnegie Mellon who’s studied the technology says it can lead to “sustainability fraud.”
To Reduce Plastic Waste, Make Producers Responsible for It (Guest Opinion by Judith Enck)
Seen any plastic waste littering your favorite lakeshore, park or neighborhood lately? You’re not alone — largely because less than 6% of the plastic we produce is actually recycled. Unlike metal, glass, paper and cardboard, plastics — which are made from a byproduct of hydrofracked gas plus a variety of toxic chemical and colorants — are neither feasible nor economical to recycle.
Your Yogurt Tub Says ‘Widely Recyclable’—but Is It Being Recycled?
Companies are set to start labeling plastic packaging commonly used for yogurt, cottage cheese and butter as “widely recyclable,” sparking opposition from some environmental groups who say the change risks misleading consumers.
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.
We Never Got Good at Recycling Plastic. Some States Are Trying a New Approach.
After recycling's failure to appreciably reduce the amount of plastic the U.S. throws away, some states are taking a new approach, transferring the onus of recycling from consumers to product manufacturers.
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.
U.S. Plastics Recycling Rate Slumps Below 6%, Analysis Finds
Americans are recycling far less plastic, according to an analysis published Wednesday, with rates falling below 6 percent in 2021. The research from Beyond Plastics and the Last Beach Cleanup aims to shed light on the state of recycling in the United States given a delay in federal reporting.
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.