Opinion: Can Recycling’s Problems Be Fixed?
Judith Enck | December 11, 2023 | The New York Times
To the Editor:
Re “The Complicated Truth About Recycling,” by Oliver Franklin-Wallis (Opinion guest essay, Dec. 3):
We all need to recycle paper, cardboard, glass and metal, and compost yard waste and food scraps. But we need to be honest about the failure of plastic recycling.
Americans are increasingly aware that over 94 percent of the plastics they use are not recycled, because they’re not recyclable. There are too many different colors and different polymers, and thousands of different chemical additives that make it very difficult to recycle plastics. The plastics industry has known this for years, but it has plowed millions of dollars into advertising designed to deceive consumers.
There really is no way to boost plastic recycling rates. The solution? Manufacture and use less plastic. Alternatives to plastic are all around us.
Plastic is being produced at an alarming rate, and it’s expected to double in the next 20 years. Relying on plastic recycling is like trying to mop water from an overflowing bathtub while the faucet is still running. It’s time to turn off the plastic tap.
Judith Enck
Poestenkill, N.Y.
The writer is a former E.P.A. regional administrator and current president of Beyond Plastics.
