The Plastic Paradox: Is Our Waste Actually Recyclable?

Plastic recycling is an increasingly important sector, but it's hard to call it a success story. Less than 9% of plastic generation from the U.S. Municipal Solid Waste stream was recycled in 2018. While more than 60% of Americans have access to different plastic recycling programs, the amount of plastic waste being recycled is relatively small.

The percentage of plastic waste that is recycled

Plastic recycling is an increasingly important sector of recycling, but it would be hard to declare it a great success story from an environmental perspective. In 2018, only 8.7% of plastic material generated in the U.S. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stream was recycled. In the same year, 15.8% was combusted for energy, while 75.6% was sent to landfills.

According to the American Chemistry Council, more than 60% of Americans have access to different plastic recycling programs. However, this does not mean that all plastic waste is being recycled. In fact, a 2015 study from the University of California Santa Barbara found that almost 4.8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the world's oceans annually. This is due in part to the fact that not all types of plastic are recyclable, and even some types of plastic that are technically recyclable are not accepted by recycling programs.

In addition, the recycling of some specific types of plastic containers is more significant than others. For example, in 2018, only 13.6% of plastic packaging was recycled, while the recycling rate for some other types of plastic containers was higher. Overall, the amount of recycled plastics is relatively small compared to the amount of plastic waste generated.

Since the 1950s, about 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced worldwide, and only about 9% of that has been recycled. This means that the vast majority of plastic waste is still sitting in landfills or polluting our oceans. It takes hundreds of years for plastic items to decompose in landfills, so the problem is only going to get worse unless we address it at the source.

The amount of plastic waste that ends up in oceans

Less than 9% of plastic generation from the U.S. Municipal Solid Waste stream was recycled in 2018. The rest was either combusted for energy (15.8%) or sent to landfills (75.6%).

Despite recycling efforts, plastic waste continues to be a major problem for the world's oceans. A 2015 study from the University of California Santa Barbara found that almost 4.8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the world's oceans annually. This is the equivalent of a truckload of plastic entering the oceans every minute of every day.

The plastic waste that is thrown into the sea can kill as many as 1 million sea creatures each year. Plastic shopping bags are a particular problem, and it is estimated that 1.9 million of these were collected in the 2018 International Coastal Cleanup.

The issue of plastic waste in the oceans cannot be solved by recycling alone. It must be addressed at the source, with corporations taking responsibility for the environmental impact of their products.

The amount of plastic waste that is burned for energy

Less than 9% of plastic generation from the U.S. Municipal Solid Waste stream was recycled in 2018. This is a small amount compared to the 75.6% that was sent to landfills and the 15.8% that was combusted for energy.

The amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills

While plastic recycling has become an increasingly important sector, it is not a great success story from an environmental perspective. In 2018, only 8.7% of plastic generation from the US Municipal Solid Waste stream was recycled. The rest was either combusted for energy (15.8%) or sent to landfills (75.6%).

In 2018, plastics generation was 35.7 million tons in the United States, which was 12.2% of MSW generation. While the amount of recycled plastics is relatively small, the recycling of some specific types of plastic containers is more significant. For example, in 2018, only 13.6% of plastic packaging was recycled, while 3.13 million tons of PET plastic were discarded in the US.

Each year, about $25 million is spent in the state of California alone to dispose of plastic waste in landfills. This is a significant cost, and it is likely that other states and countries also spend a considerable amount on plastic waste disposal.

Since the 1950s, some 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced worldwide, and only 9% of that has been recycled. This means that the vast majority of plastic waste is still out there, either in landfills or in the environment. While recycling is important, it is clear that we cannot recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis. We must address the problem at the source and reduce our reliance on plastic.

The number of plastic bags collected in clean-up operations

Less than 9% of plastic generation from the U.S. Municipal Solid Waste stream was recycled in 2018. This amounts to 3 million tons of plastic recycled out of 35.7 million tons of plastic generated in the United States. While the amount of plastic recycled is relatively small, the recycling of specific types of plastic containers is more significant. For example, 13.6% of plastic packaging was recycled in 2018.

In the same year, 1.9 million grocery bags and other plastic bags were collected in the International Coastal Cleanup. This is a small fraction of the almost 4.8 million metric tons of plastic that end up in the world's oceans annually.

In California, around $25 million is spent each year to dispose of plastic waste in landfills.

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