All Talk and No Recycling: An Investigation of the U.S. 'Chemical Recycling' Industry

Publication Date: August 2020 | GAIA US

The United States has a plastic problem. Of all of the plastic produced since 1950, 91% have never been recycled.1 After being tossed into trash cans or wishfully into recycling bins, most plastic ends up in landfills or incinerators, here and overseas.2 The reality is that the amount of plastic produced in the United States cannot be reasonably recycled. In addition, many of the types of plastic that are produced cannot be recycled into useful new products.3

As a result of increased public awareness of plastic pollution, the plastic and fossil fuel industries are facing increasing market constraints and widespread consumer backlash. These industries have faced increased pushback from consumers who are choosing reusable alternatives, China and other Asian countries rejecting plastic waste exports, and governments instituting bans on single-use plastic. But rather than taking responsibility for their plastic waste, these industries are pushing forward plans to produce additional billions of tons of plastic that reach beyond the planet’s ecological capacity and put the health of communities and workers at risk. Read More >>