The Plastic Recycling Myth: What's Really Happening To Our Waste?

Plastic is everywhere. But what happens to it when we throw it away? It's easy to assume that putting plastic in the recycling bin means it will be recycled, but the reality is very different. In 2021, only 5-6% of plastic was recycled in the US, and the situation is only slightly better worldwide. So, what's going on?

The US recycles 5% of plastic waste

The United States, the world's largest plastic polluter, recycles only 5% of its plastic waste. This is despite the fact that most people assume that when they throw a plastic bottle or cup into the recycling bin, it will be recycled. However, this is often not the case.

The low recycling rate can be attributed to several factors, including low recycling rates, population growth, consumer preference for single-use plastics, and low disposal fees in certain parts of the country. Additionally, the plastic industry has been accused of fraud, with major petrochemical companies and plastic manufacturers knowing for decades that most plastic products cannot be effectively recycled.

The recycling system itself is also deeply flawed, and this is a global issue. While the situation is slightly better worldwide, with a 9% recycling rate, a staggering 91% of plastic waste is still incinerated, landfilled, or mismanaged (e.g. dumped into the ocean).

There is a growing awareness of the world's plastic waste challenges, but this has not translated into higher rates of recycling. The United States' low recycling rate of 5% highlights the urgent need for better waste management solutions and a reduction in plastic consumption.

The recycling system is flawed

The American Chemistry Council (ACC), which supports the plastic industry, admits that 90% of all plastics aren't being recycled. This is despite the fact that the plastic industry has deceptively promoted recycling as a solution to plastic waste management for more than 50 years. Major petrochemical companies, plastic manufacturers, and members of the ACC have long known that the majority of plastic products can never be effectively recycled.

The recycling system is not only flawed in the United States but also globally. While the situation is slightly better worldwide, a staggering 91% of plastic waste is still incinerated, landfilled, or mismanaged (e.g. dumped into the ocean). This is due to a variety of factors, including the lack of infrastructure and education about recycling, as well as the economic and technical challenges of recycling plastic.

The recycling system needs to be overhauled to address these flaws and ensure that more plastic waste is actually recycled. This includes investing in new technologies and infrastructure for recycling plastic, as well as educating consumers about the importance of reducing their plastic consumption and properly disposing of plastic waste. Additionally, there needs to be a shift away from single-use plastics and towards more sustainable alternatives.

Plastic recycling is not technically or economically viable at scale

The recycling system itself is deeply flawed. Plastic is made from oil and gas, and Big Oil and the plastics industry have deceptively promoted recycling as a solution to plastic waste management for more than 50 years, despite their long-standing knowledge that plastic recycling is not technically or economically viable at scale. Since the 1970s, major petrochemical companies, plastic manufacturers and members of the American Chemistry Council knew that the majority of plastic products could never be effectively recycled.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC), which supports the plastic industry, admits that 90% of all plastics aren't being recycled. This means that a staggering 91% of plastic waste is incinerated, landfilled or mismanaged (e.g. dumped into the ocean).

The Department of Energy's research paper, which analysed data from 2019, found that only 5% of plastics are being recycled. The researchers on that report wrote that landfilled plastic waste in the United States has been on the rise for many reasons, including "low recycling rates, population growth, consumer preference for single-use plastics, and low disposal fees in certain parts of the country".

Major petrochemical companies have known this for decades

Major petrochemical companies have known for decades that the majority of plastic products cannot be effectively recycled. Despite this, they have deceptively promoted recycling as a solution to plastic waste management for over 50 years. In 2024, a report by Last Beach Cleanup and Beyond Plastics found that only 5-6% of plastic was being recycled. The United States, the world's largest plastic polluter, recycles a mere 5% of its household plastic waste. The recycling system itself is deeply flawed, with 91% of plastic waste being incinerated, landfilled, or mismanaged.

The American Chemistry Council admits 90% of plastics aren't recycled

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has admitted that 90% of plastics are not recycled. This is despite the fact that the majority of people who put plastic in the recycling bin assume that it will be recycled. The ACC has supported the plastic industry for more than 50 years, during which time it has deceptively promoted recycling as a solution to plastic waste management.

The recycling system itself is deeply flawed. In 2021, the recycling rate for post-consumer plastic was just 5% to 6%. The United States, the world's largest plastic polluter, recycles only 5% of its household plastic waste. This is despite the fact that around 48 million tons of plastic waste is generated in the US each year.

The Department of Energy has identified several reasons for the low recycling rates in the US, including population growth, consumer preference for single-use plastics, and low disposal fees in certain parts of the country. The recycling system is also flawed because plastic is made from oil and gas, and the plastic industry has long known that plastic recycling is not technically or economically viable at scale.

The ACC's admission that 90% of plastics are not recycled is a stark reminder that the current system is not working. It is clear that more needs to be done to address the world's plastic waste challenges.

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