Maya Ellison
Plastic is everywhere, and it's shockingly profitable. However, despite consumers' best efforts to recycle, a significant amount of plastic ends up in landfills. This is due to a variety of factors, including the fact that plastic is not designed to be recycled, the limitations of recycling infrastructure and processes, and the misleading information provided by industry officials. According to a 2022 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 72% of plastic ends up in landfills or the environment. This has significant environmental consequences, as plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose and can leak pollutants into the soil and water.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of plastic waste that ends up in landfills | 72% to 85% |
| Percentage of plastic waste that is recycled | 5% to 6% |
| Percentage of plastic waste that is incinerated | 10% |
| Plastic recycling rate in 2018 | 8.7% |
| Plastic recycling rate at its peak in 2014 | 9.5% |
| Plastic recycling rate in 2021 | 5% to 6% |
| Plastic waste generated in the US in 2021 | 40 million tons |
| Plastic waste generated in the US in 1980 | 7.4 million tons |
| Plastic waste generated in the US in 2018 | 35.7 million tons |
| Paper recycling rate in 1980 | 21.3% |
| Paper recycling rate in 2018 | 68.2% |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic is not designed to be recycled
The recyclability of plastic varies depending on its type. For instance, thermoset plastics, which account for about 25% of global plastic production, contain polymers that form irreversible chemical bonds, making them nearly impossible to recycle. Examples of products using thermoset plastics include electrical insulation, ropes, belts, and pipes. On the other hand, thermoplastics, which make up about 75% of global plastic production, can be melted and moulded repeatedly to create new plastics, making them, in theory, recyclable. However, even thermoplastics face recycling challenges, such as contamination from food residues, which often render them unfit for the recycling process.
The plastic that is collected for recycling is sorted according to resin type or colour. The lower the resin code, the more likely the plastic is to be easily recyclable. While some types of plastic can be recycled, the process is not always widespread or economically feasible. For instance, recycling plastic is costly and energy-intensive, and the low price of oil, from which plastic is made, means that recycling plastic waste is often not economically justifiable. Additionally, certain types of plastic, such as thin bags or films, can clog recycling machinery if not separated properly, leading to kerbside recycling programs refusing to accept them.
The plastic industry has been accused of misleading the public about the recyclability of plastic. Despite knowing as early as the 1970s and 1980s that plastic could not be economically recycled, the industry spent millions on advertising campaigns promoting plastic recycling. This allowed them to sell more plastic by reassuring consumers that recycling would mitigate environmental concerns. As a result, many consumers mistakenly believe that their plastic waste is being recycled when, in reality, it often ends up in landfills.
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Plastic recycling rates are low
Plastic recycling rates are extremely low, with a 2022 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development finding that 72% of plastic ends up in landfills or the environment. This is due to a multitude of factors, including the fact that plastic is cheap to make and highly profitable, as well as the lack of access to formal waste management services in many parts of the world. For instance, 3.5 billion people globally lack access to formal waste management, and in developing countries, 80-90% of recycling activities are informal.
The plastic recycling industry in these developing regions is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, many of which lack access to capital and financial services. This makes it difficult for them to invest in the advanced processing facilities needed to create high-quality recycled plastic. The variety of plastic polymers also poses a challenge, as mixing different types can lead to defects in the manufacturing process.
Furthermore, the virgin plastics industry consumes 6% of global oil consumption, making it easier for manufacturers to source virgin material than recycled. This is further exacerbated by the fact that plastic is not designed to be recycled, and many plastic products are not actually recycled even when placed in recycling bins. For example, a Greenpeace report found that while 52% of recycling facilities in the US accept plastic cups and containers, less than 5% of this plastic is actually repurposed. Similarly, the National Association for PET Container Resources found that only 21% of plastic bottles collected for recycling were turned into new products in 2017.
The low recycling rates have significant environmental and social consequences, with the negative impact of plastic pollution costing society an estimated 40 billion USD annually. To address this issue, it is crucial to develop better, more recyclable products, increase circularity, and reduce the demand for and production of plastic.
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Plastic waste management techniques
Plastic waste management is essential for the environment, the economy, and the future. If not managed correctly, plastic waste can find its way into oceans, endangering marine life, and into landscapes, causing soil and air pollution.
Recycling
Recycling is the process of converting waste into reusable material. However, it's important to note that not all plastics can be recycled. Only Type 1 (PET) and Type 2 (HDPE) plastics are commonly recycled. The recycling process involves collection, sorting, washing, shredding, melting, and remolding plastic into new products. Mechanical sorting separates plastics from other materials like paper, glass, and metals using sieving and shredding processes.
Chemical Recycling
Chemical recycling, also known as advanced recycling or feedstock recycling, disassembles plastics into their chemical constituents or transforms them into useful products. This process includes techniques like pyrolysis and gasification. Pyrolysis involves heating plastics in an oxygen-free environment to produce hydrocarbon gases, liquids, or solids that can be used as fuel or raw materials for new plastics. Gasification, on the other hand, uses oxygen and/or steam to create syngas, which can produce energy or chemicals.
Biodegradation
Biodegradation is an environmentally friendly method where microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and enzymes, break down plastic into simpler substances like water, carbon dioxide, and biomass.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Plans
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) plans are policies that require producers to take responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products, including their proper disposal or recycling. This approach helps fund and scale-up community-based waste management initiatives, such as the Nipe Fagio program in Tanzania, which has successfully reduced landfill waste by 75-80% in participating neighbourhoods.
Enzyme-based Recycling and Edible Packaging
Innovations like enzyme-based recycling and edible packaging are revolutionizing the way we manage plastic waste. Enzyme-based recycling uses enzymes to break down plastics, while edible packaging offers a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic packaging.
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Plastic recycling is economically unviable
Firstly, plastic is cheap to produce, making it shockingly profitable for manufacturers. The cost of using oil to create new plastic is significantly lower than the cost of recycling plastic waste. Oil companies have known since the 1970s and 1980s that plastic could not be economically recycled, yet they continued to promote recycling to sell more plastic. The process of separating and sorting plastic waste is time-consuming and energy-intensive, adding to the overall cost.
Secondly, the variety of plastic types poses a significant challenge to recycling efforts. There are thousands of different types of plastic, and they cannot be melted down together. This means that recycling facilities must sort through enormous quantities of plastic waste to separate the different types, which is a costly and labor-intensive process. Even then, most plastic is not actually recycled but rather downcycled into lower-quality products that cannot be recycled again.
Additionally, the recycling process itself has limitations. Plastic recycling facilities often lack the necessary infrastructure and technology to effectively recycle plastic waste on a large scale. Many recycling projects have failed due to these economic and technical constraints. For example, an NPR investigation found that almost a dozen projects publicized by the industry in the late 1980s and early 1990s ultimately failed due to economic reasons.
Furthermore, the recycling rate for plastic is extremely low. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, only about 9% of plastic is recycled, while the vast majority (72%) ends up in landfills or the environment. This is partly due to the challenges of collecting and sorting plastic waste, which is expensive and time-consuming.
To address the issue of plastic waste, it is crucial to reduce plastic consumption, develop better recyclable products, and find sustainable alternatives. While recycling can play a role in waste management, it is not a permanent solution on its own.
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Plastic recycling is energy and time-intensive
Plastic recycling is a time-consuming and energy-intensive process. It involves collecting, sorting, and processing plastic waste into new products. While recycling plastic can save energy by reducing the need to make materials from scratch, it is important to recognize that most plastic ends up in landfills or the environment.
The recycling process typically begins with waste collectors sorting plastic waste from other trash. This plastic waste is then transported to a recycling facility, where workers further sort the plastic by type and color. This sorting process is necessary because different types of plastic have different chemical compositions and melting points, which affects how they can be processed and recycled.
Once sorted, the plastic waste is cleaned and shredded into small pieces. These plastic flakes are then melted down and processed into new products. However, the quality of the plastic degrades each time it is recycled, which is why some plastics are downcycled into lower-quality products. For example, a plastic water bottle may be recycled into something like fleece jackets or carpeting, which will eventually become road filler and will no longer be recycled.
The energy intensity of plastic recycling comes from the various steps in the process, from collection to processing. Additionally, the energy savings from recycling plastic are relatively small compared to other materials. For instance, while recycling glass reduces energy consumption by 10-15%, recycling plastic may only save up to 30% of energy consumption.
Despite the energy intensity of plastic recycling, it is still important to recycle plastic waste to reduce the amount of plastic ending up in landfills and the environment. However, it is even more crucial to focus on reducing plastic consumption and finding sustainable alternatives. By making less plastic and reusing products, we can minimize the energy and time required for plastic recycling while also reducing plastic pollution.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, most recycled plastic ends up in landfills. A Greenpeace report found that people put plastic into recycling bins, but almost none of it is actually recycled. A 2022 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates that 72% of plastic ends up in landfills or the environment.
Plastic is not designed to be recycled. It is made from petroleum or natural gas, and the recycling process is energy and time-intensive. The small number of plastics that have been tested often prove to be endocrine disruptors, impacting human health.
To reduce the amount of recycled plastic ending up in landfills, we can focus on reducing plastic consumption and finding sustainable alternatives. Additionally, waste management techniques, such as those implemented by Nipe Fagio in Tanzania, have been successful in significantly reducing landfill waste.
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