The Dark Truth Of Non-Recyclable Plastics

Plastic recycling is an important part of protecting the environment and reducing our ecological footprint. However, despite the fact that 75% of global plastics produced are thermoplastics that can be melted and moulded to produce new plastics, only 5-6% of plastics in the US are actually recycled. This is a major decline from 9.5% in 2014 and 8.7% in 2018. Overall, 91% of plastic isn't recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills and our oceans.

Only 5-6% of plastics in the US are recycled

According to a Greenpeace report, only 5-6% of plastics in the US are recycled. This is a major decline from the still relatively low highs of 9.5% in 2014 and 8.7% in 2018. In 2021, US households generated 51 million tons of plastic waste, of which only 2.4 tons were recycled.

The low percentage of plastic recycling is due to several factors. Firstly, not all plastics can be recycled due to their material properties. About 75% of global plastics produced are thermoplastics that can be melted and moulded to produce new plastics, making them theoretically recyclable. However, the remaining 25% are thermoset plastics that do not soften when exposed to heat, making them extremely difficult to recycle. Examples of products containing thermoset plastics include electrical insulation, ropes, belts, and pipes.

Another factor contributing to the low recycling rate is the misleading arrow symbol on plastic products. This symbol leads consumers to believe that all plastics can be recycled, resulting in recycling plants being overwhelmed with plastic items they cannot process. Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics, a non-profit organisation aiming to reduce single-use plastic, states that "when it comes to plastics, recycling has been an abysmal failure, and only 5% to 6% of plastics actually gets recycled in the United States".

The variety of different types of plastics that cannot be recycled together further complicates the issue. Thousands of different chemical additives are used to give plastics specific properties, such as softness or fire resistance, making them incompatible for recycling.

To address the plastic pollution crisis, Greenpeace suggests that companies should transition to packaging-free, reuse systems and be transparent about their plastic footprints. While plastic recycling is important, our current recycling capacity is insufficient to manage the volume and types of plastics we discard. Therefore, we need to explore more immediate solutions to reduce plastic pollution globally.

91% of plastic isn't recycled

Only 5-6% of plastics used in the US are recycled, down from 9.5% in 2014, according to a Greenpeace report. This means that 91% of plastic isn't recycled.

The reasons behind the low percentage of plastic recycling are manifold. We often simply throw plastics away into the recycling bin, however, due to the material properties of plastics, not all can be recycled. About 75% of global plastics produced are thermoplastics that can be melted and moulded over and over to produce new plastics, which – in theory – makes all thermoplastics recyclable. The remaining 25% of plastics are thermoset plastics that do not soften when exposed to heat, making them near-impossible to recycle. Examples of products in which this type of plastic is used include electrical insulation, ropes, belts, and pipes.

The misleading arrow symbol leads consumers to overwhelm recycling plants with plastic items they can’t process, according to Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics, a non-profit that aims to reduce single-use plastic use and production.

Greenpeace says companies should take the lead on addressing this crisis by transitioning to packaging-free, reuse systems, as well as being transparent with data relating to their plastic footprints.

75% of global plastics are thermoplastics, which can be melted and moulded

Most plastic is not recycled. In the US, only 5-6% of plastics are recycled, down from 9.5% in 2014. In 2017, the global plastics market was dominated by thermoplastics, which can be melted and recast. Thermoplastics include polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS) and synthetic fibres, which together represent 86% of all plastics.

Thermoplastics make up 75% of plastic products worldwide, meaning the majority of global plastics are easily recyclable when provided with an appropriate disposal and processing infrastructure. Thermoplastics are a class of plastic polymer that turn to liquid when heated and re-solidify when cooled, a process made possible by simple bonds between polymers allowing the plastics to be re-melted and remoulded repeatedly without losing structural integrity. Thermoplastics can be heated, reformed and reused countless times without quality degradation.

The remaining 25% of plastics are thermoset plastics that do not soften when exposed to heat, making them near-impossible to recycle. Examples of products in which this type of plastic is used include electrical insulation, ropes, belts, and pipes.

25% of plastics are thermoset plastics, which are near-impossible to recycle

It is estimated that 91% of plastic is not recycled. This is due to the material properties of plastics, which mean that not all can be recycled. While 75% of global plastics produced are thermoplastics that can be melted and moulded to produce new plastics, the remaining 25% are thermoset plastics, which do not soften when exposed to heat, making them near-impossible to recycle. Thermoset plastics are used in products such as electrical insulation, ropes, belts, and pipes.

The low percentage of plastic recycling is also due to the fact that only two types of plastic can be claimed to be truly recyclable under US law, despite the large numbers of different plastics in circulation. This has led to recycling plants being overwhelmed with plastic items they cannot process.

In 2021, US households generated 51 million tons of plastic waste, of which only 2.4 tons were recycled. This equates to only 5-6% of plastics in the US being recycled, a major decline from 9.5% in 2014 and 8.7% in 2018.

The misleading arrow symbol leads consumers to overwhelm recycling plants with plastic items they can't process

The arrow symbol that indicates recyclability is misleading consumers, according to Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics. Enck says that the symbol leads people to put non-recyclable plastics in the recycling bin, which then overwhelm recycling plants.

The problem is that there are thousands of different types of plastic, with different chemical additives that make them soft, fire-resistant or give them other properties. These different types of plastic cannot be recycled together.

In addition, only two types of plastic can be claimed to be truly recyclable under US law, despite the large numbers of different plastics in circulation. A Greenpeace report found that only 5-6% of plastics in the US were actually recycled, down from 9.5% in 2014 and 8.7% in 2018.

Overall, 91% of plastic isn't recycled. This is due to a combination of factors, including the material properties of plastics, the different types of plastic that cannot be recycled together, and the limited capacity of recycling plants.

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